


You Are (Not) a Cursed Boy

by nerdygiraffee



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: 2ho, BLESSED, Cursed, M/M, Woosan, Yunjong, highschool, myth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23982643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdygiraffee/pseuds/nerdygiraffee
Summary: Jongho was born with a curse... or so he thought. Everyone around him would continue to get hurt no matter how hard he tried to be careful. His solution to this horrible fate was to avoid being attached to anyone at all, to live his life alone.He would no longer have to watch his loved ones suffer while he stood by the side, helpless. The only price he had to pay? Company. Relationships. Friends. Everything worked out fine... until Yunho came along and ruined everything.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Jeong Yunho, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 25
Kudos: 89





	1. Prologue

"Mom.... mom... Grandpa's saying weird things again..." 

My grandson was jumping around, the juices from the ice lolly in his hand dripping on the creaking wood boards of my back porch. 

I only laughed when he continued shouting through the back door at his mother, who was preparing lunch in the kitchen. 

My daughter was beautiful - she had the same straight dark hair as my grandson, and they both had huge round eyes. Wiping her hands with her apron, she hurried out towards his son's cries. "What's the matter, hm?"

"Grandpa's telling me that weird myth again," the boy sucked on his lolly. "About the cursed and the blessed." His nose scrunched up. "It's... weird."

"Hey, it's not weird," I retorted. "And it's certainly _not_ a myth!"

His mom turned to look at me with accusing eyes. I tried my best to look innocent. "What? I'm not lying, so don't look at me like that. Hmph."

I swore she rolled her eyes as she turned back to his son. "What did my father tell you? About the spirits again?" 

He nodded, finishing the last of his dessert. "He said that some spirits are naturally unbalanced. Some are very unlucky, while others are extremely lucky. And until these two meet each other, neither of them will live a good life." As an afterthought, he added, "Is that true, mother?"

"No, don't listen to him..." My daughter gave me a death glare, but I just smiled sheepishly. "He's just making up stories. Right, _father_?" 

I stood up and pretended not to hear her. "Hmm, is dinner ready? I smell some kimchi stew..." 

"Father!"

"Alright, alright! Go on in and set the table, I'll explain everything, okay?"

When I finally shooed her in and she was out of earshot, I bent down to look at my grandson. "Don't listen to your mother." 

He cocked his head, thought for a while, and nodded firmly. "Okay, I trust you, grandpa."

I laughed again and ruffled his hair. "You're such a smart boy, I know it! Let's eat dinner, come on." 

I started pulling him into the house when he said, "I still don't believe your story about the spirits, though. I don't believe in curses or blesses. Aren't we all born the same?"

I paused and turned around. With a smile, I replied, "next time you visit, I'll tell you the rest of the story, how 'bout that?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this prologue isn't too short and confusing. It is meant to be vague, so I didn't put any names. Can you guys guess who the boy is? Or maybe the grandpa? (Hint: one of them is an ATEEZ member) I'd like to see your guesses as you guys read through the story! So please comment and vote, it will really motivate me as a writer.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> \- Nerdy Giraffe


	2. Watch Where You're Going

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost late for school, Jongho runs into Yunho and his friends... for the first time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Read:
> 
> Please note that in this story, all the members have the SAME age, and they are students studying in the last year of high school (typically 18 years old, but the actual age doesn't really matter).

Jongho rushed to the kitchen and retrieved an ice pack from the freezer. He was halfway out the door before he decided to turn back and get another pack. _Better safe than sorry._ He then ran across the hallway and up the stairs to his mother, who was sitting on her bed, rubbing her temple in agony.

"Thank you, Jongho-ah. I don't know what I'd do without you." His mother sighed with relief as she felt the coolness of the ice seep through her scalp.

Jongho nibbled his bottom lip with guilt as he sat down next to her. It was the second time today, fifth time this week. Two paper cuts, a sprained wrist, a bruised elbow, and now a forehead bump that she got from walking head-first into a swinging door. The more he thought about it, the more he hated himself.

His mother seemed to sense his anger because she put the second ice pack onto Jongho's most sensitive spot: the nape of his neck. In return, she got a yelp from her youngest kid. "Cool down, dear. I know what you're thinking, but stop. It's not your fault."

Jongho felt his heart squeeze like a lemon on a juicer. Her sad smile only made it worst. He forced himself to look away from the bandages that were covering his mother's wounds, hoping to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.

Before his mother could ask any questions, Jongho stood up abruptly and mumbled, "I'm going to school." The already-warm ice pack fell from his neck, but he couldn't care less.

"Wait, aren't you going to eat breakfast?" Jongho paused at the threshold, halfway through closing the door. His knuckles turned white from gripping the door knob tightly.

He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. Without turning back, he said, "you should've went with father and my sisters."

Uncomfortable silence settled in the room, and Jongho was about to leave when his mother spoke up. "Who's going to take care of you if I went with them?"

"I don't need taking care of, mother. People around me get hurt - they are the ones who need it. _You_ need it." He sighed, both irritated and upset. "I can't stand seeing you like this, knowing it's my fault. Father stopped having migraines and back pain in America. My curse doesn't affect them anymore. You should go."

"That's what you tell me every time, Jongho. But I'm still here, aren't I? Nothing you say is going to make me leave my only son. Now go eat your breakfast." 

Jongho gritted his teeth and bit back his retort. Instead, he left without a word and slammed the door behind him. Angrily wiping his tears away, he picked up his schoolbag and headed to school, leaving his untouched bowl of rice steaming on the dining table.

The campus gates were buzzing with students when Jongho got off the bus. As usual, he kept his head down to avoid any unnecessary attention. In a way, school was better. The curse only targeted the people who had a connection with Jongho, so all he had to do was to not make any friends, which seemed easier than doing the opposite anyways.

Half the school year had passed, and Jongho was fine being the loner. Just a few more months before graduation, Jongho thought. And then I'll be free. 

In truth, he hadn't decided whether or not to go to university yet, but it didn't matter now because the bell just rang and he was going to be late if he didn't run!

Shouldering his backpack, he dashed through the main entrance, across the lobby and up three flights of stairs. He was panting slightly, but he didn't stop at the hallway, and continued to sprint even though a bend was coming up.

It was always a bad idea to run in corners, because you never know if someone was coming from the other side. 

A second before the impact, Jongho saw a pair of legs approaching - he had kept his head down all the way - but the momentum meant that he couldn't stop in time. Before he knew it, his head was throbbing with pain, and textbooks and papers were raining down next to him.

For once, Jongho was grateful for his short height, which saved him from falling bottom-first onto the ground. The other guy, however, wasn't so lucky. He was tall, at least six foot, with curly white hair that looked silver under the sunlight that shone through the windows. His uniform was neat, all buttoned up, unlike Jongho's loosened necktie and wrinkled t-shirt. His long limbs and lean body were-- 

Jongho's perusal was cut short by a cacophony of screams and shouts and curse words that were probably aimed at him. 

Six other students, all of the same year, surrounded the fallen guy. They blocked the whole width of the corridor, so Jongho couldn't slip away even if he wanted to. 

"Yunho, are you alright?" Two of them crouched down, looking around the same height as Jongho. Both of them had a different shade of pink hair. They turned Yunho's face this way and that, lifted his arms and legs, inspecting his whole body for wounds. 

A coffee-haired one bent down, picking up the fallen materials. Jongho caught a glimpse of the shiny badge on his uniform - he was the class president, Kim Hongjoong. "I don't know who you are, student, but no running in the hallways, got it?" Jongho gulped and hastily tucked in his shirt - breaking one rule was more than enough for today.

"Hey, can someone tell me what's going on? I'm playing this game and I can't look away." Jongho traced the voice to the owner, who was also a giant, with dark blue hair and a phone in his hands. 

"Mingi, you won't die if you stopped for a second." A guy with sharp features rolled his eyes. His jawline looked as sharp as a knife, and the red highlights in his dark hair made Jongho think of blood. "Some idiot ran straight into Yunho."

"I'm sorry, I was going to be late..." Jongho didn't dare look up. He tentatively reached out a hand towards Yunho. "I'm so sorry. Um, should I pull you up?" 

One of the pink-haired ones slapped Jongho's hand away. "He doesn't need your help. You should watch where you're going!" 

Jongho rubbed his arm helplessly, unsure what to do. Leaving now would just make things awkward, wouldn't it? While Yunho stood up with the help of his friends, Jongho noticed the last student standing at the back of the group. He was the only one who didn't dye his hair, or so Jongho thought. It was pure black, as dark as his pupils, which were big and round behind a circular pair of golden-rimmed prescription glasses. 

They shared eye contact for half a minute, before Jongho quickly looked away. Yet he could still feel that pair of eyes on him, not exactly accusing or hostile, but more curious, like a cat's. 

Finally, Yunho was back on his feet, with no scratches nor bruises, as perfect as he was before the collision. As impossible as it seems, his books weren't even wrinkled or damaged. Jongho was growing increasingly self-conscious under seven pairs of strange eyes, and started to find his way through the small crowd, hoping to slip away as soon as possible.

"Wait," a soft voice called out. Someone had grabbed Jongho's arm. Jongho froze and turned back slowly. It was Yunho. "Please don't mind my friends, they're just a little... sensitive. My name is Jeong Yunho, what's yours?"

Jongho wasn't used to friendliness, and he faltered under Yunho's warm smile. "Jong— Choi Jongho."

Without waiting for Yunho to respond, Jongho pried away from his grip and ran towards his own classroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you now have a better idea of who the people in the prologue might be? Leave a guess in the comments! Remember to vote if you like the story so far!
> 
> \- Nerdy Giraffe


	3. You Should've Never Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seonghwa recalls a childhood memory when he first met all his friends, including Jongho, in a playground.

It happened when they were only kids. Seonghwa remembered that he and Yunho just turned six, while the others - Hongjoong, Yeosang, San, Mingi, and Wooyoung - were still five years old.

Their moms were good friends, either from their high school days or simply because they lived in the neighborhood, and since their seven sons attended the same kindergarten, they often had play dates in the playground after school ended.

One day, there was a transfer student. He looked smaller than the others, but was in the same year as Seonghwa and his friends, albeit in a different class. That very same day, the boy's mother got into a minor accident, and couldn't pick him up on time after school. He ended up waiting at the same playground where all the kids hung out. 

"Hi!" Yunho was the one of the first to arrive. He wasn't afraid of new faces, and certainly wasn't territorial of the playground. In fact, he was eager to invite the new boy to join him. "My name is Jeong Yunho. What's yours?"

Seonghwa had just came out of the washroom. Instead of joining Yunho, an observant kid like him decided to join the moms, who were chatting on the benches. 

The new boy stopped rocking on a unicorn spring rider, but he didn't look up at Yunho. Instead, he fiddled with his fingers and mumbled, "Jongho. Choi Jongho." 

Even at a young age, Jongho knew he shouldn't make friends and risk hurting them. He almost cried right there, thinking of his mother, who was on her way from the hospital after an unprofessional salesman emptied a bucket of dirty water - along with the bucket - all over her body in a fish market.

Trying to protect the little dignity he had, he started to slip off his unicorn, hoping to run away from Yunho.

Unfortunately, Yunho already had a hand planted firmly on Jongho's arm. "My friends will arrive soon, do you want to join us?" Yunho was still smiling brightly, slightly tugging Jongho towards the big equipment scattered around the area.

Jongho looked up timidly at the playhouses and slides, which were all so tempting for a five-year-old like him. Sneaking a glance at his new friend, he gave an almost imperceptible nod, and found himself being led towards the swings. 

It was then when Yunho spotted Seonghwa sitting between their moms, drinking water. He raised his long arm into the air and waved enthusiastically. "Seonghwaaa, why are you all the way over theree?? Come here~ Look who I met!" 

Seonghwa grinned and ran over, his shoes barely audible against the rubber floor. He cocked his head, still panting slightly. "This is Jongho, right? You're the transfer, I remember! My name is Park Seonghwa, nice to meet you. C'mon, lets play the swings."

Jongho was surprised that anyone would remember him, given his self-effacing nature, but at that moment, he didn't really care. Yunho was holding his hand now, and the three of them walked together, side by side. 

"Shall we take turns pushing each other?" Yunho looked at the two swings moving in the breeze, then back at Seonghwa, who shook his head. 

"I know how to play on my own, you two can take the other one." He jumped onto the closer one and was already propelling himself off the ground using his tiny feet. 

"Do you want to play first?" Jongho looked up at Yunho, who was half a head taller. To Jongho's surprise, his ears started to grow red.

"Oh, no, it's fine-" Yunho stuttered, as if he was embarrassed. "I'm too tall and heavy, it's hard to get me swinging. I'll ask my mum to help me later."

A grin cracked on Jongho's face, his chin angled up with pride. "Don't worry, I'm known for my strength." Not giving Yunho a chance to protest, he let go of Yunho's hand and pushed him into the swing. "Ready?"

Yunho grabbed the chains tightly, face flushed with excitement. Just two pushes later, and with the help of his weight as momentum, his legs were in the air, and Yunho thought he could fly! 

For a few minutes, Seonghwa and Yunho competed to see who could go higher, and their giggles - including Jongho's - grew louder and louder...

"Seonghwa! Yunho!" 

"Hey, isn't that the new kid as well?"

"Do you think my sand castle is still there?"

Five kindergartners came stampeding into the playground, throwing their schoolbags onto the floor unceremoniously. Ignoring their mothers' shouts and warnings, they climbed up the stairs that led to a playhouse with multi-colored slides branching out on different levels and angles. 

Seonghwa hopped out of his swing, sending sand everywhere as he landed roughly. Yunho, however, wasn't as brave, and had to wait until the swing slowed down before climbing out carefully. He grabbed Jongho's hand and smiled at him. "Let's go, I'll introduce you to my friendship!" He started walking, then paused and added, "I'll push you on the swings next time... you'll come again, right?"

His face was so sincere and eyes so hopeful that it was impossible to say no. Jongho hesitated for a split second before nodding.

"Let's go to the top!" Wooyoung exclaimed. His best friend, San, agreed instantly. Yunho had just finished giving Jongho and brief introductions to his other friends, who were just as welcoming. Jongho felt a little uneasy among so many strangers, but he thought it wouldn't hurt to play with them once in a while. Anyhow, he was too happy to think about the curse at the moment.

Yeosang surveyed their surroundings. "There are three ways up: stairs--"

"Boring stairs," interrupted Mingi, who was playing with some sort of shape-matching game on one of the plastic walls.

Yeosang hit his shoulder gently and continued. "A ladder over there..."

"Which is super hot because its made of metal and the sun's shining," Mingi contributed - unnecessarily - and got himself another punch from Yeosang.

"...or we can climb up this shaft." Yeosang finished, pointing at a nearby structure that had a small opening at the bottom. Only one cushioned platform was visible from where he was standing, but three more of those were hidden up the tunnel, which would lead to the top floor.

All eight of them agreed on the last method unanimously, and one by one they scurried in. Well, except for San and Wooyoung, who were trying to give each other piggy backs. 

Before following the group, Hongjoong shouted to their mothers to inform them about where they were heading, so they could keep an eye out. He was used to being the responsible one.

Seonghwa was the second-last to reach the top, which Jongho at his tail. Everyone else were waiting at the platform, which was barricaded on three sides: a wall on the left, the opening to the purple slide on the right, and the tunnel from which they had came at the back. The front, however, was open. It was the side where the ladder was. 

"Can someone go down the slide already?" Mingi whined impatiently. The platform was too small, smaller than the one below. 

Smaller than the one below. The front side was open.

When Seonghwa realized the problem, it was too late. Jongho squirmed out of the tunnel from behind, and tried to get up on his two feet. As he stood, he lost balance and tried to steady himself by leaning forward. This slight movement created a chain effect, and everyone, who were practically squashed together in the dense crowd, grumbled and stumbled.

All it took was a small push from each of them, and Yunho, who was standing at the very edge, lost his footing and fell back down to the first platform.

Seonghwa wasn't sure if anyone screamed, but he recalled Wooyoung and San slipping down the slide in a panic. Mingi and Hongjoong stood, frozen in their spots, dipping their heads but not quite looking down at Yunho.

Jongho rushed to the front and jumped down without hesitance. Thankfully, it wasn't a long drop. "Yunho!" He dropped down to his knees and shook his friend's body frantically. Tears immediately formed in his eyes and rolled down his cheek. He had thought his curse worked after all. On a friend he had known for less than thirty minutes.

Meanwhile, San and Wooyoung climbed up with the stairs once again. "Don't touch him!" San pushed Jongho away, and Wooyoung stood in front of Yunho defensively. "You never should've come! It's because of you that Yunho fell!" 

Jongho bit his lip so his sobs wouldn't escape, but he started hiccuping profusely instead. Yunho groaned and stirred on the floor. "I-I'm sorry-"

"Go away!" Somehow, Mingi also arrived. 

Seonghwa was halfway down the ladder when Yunho pushed himself up. "Guys, stop it. I'm not even hurt." He turned to Jongho and did a double take when he saw Jongho's tear-streaked face. He crawled to him and hugged him, startling everyone.

"Don't cry, Jongho, you silly." Yunho chuckled. "I landed on my feet, I just stumbled and fell. My head's fine, my butt's fine. And guess what? I'm wearing air sole shoes today, and my heels are heavily padded to reduce impact. How lucky, right?"

Seonghwa let out a sigh of relief, but when he looked around, he realized the others were still suspicious and wary of Jongho.

The bell rang, pulling Seonghwa back to reality. He was in a high school classroom, with a Maths textbook in front of him. The lesson just ended, and it was lunch. He watched as Yunho walked into his classroom, surrounded by San, Wooyoung, Mingi, Yeosang and Hongjoong. 

In hindsight, Seonghwa thought it was weird that Yunho didn't get hurt at all, not even a twisted ankle or a bump in the head, just like what happened earlier in the hallway with Jongho. Was Yunho really that lucky? And was it pure coincidence that Yunho was the one who fell both times?

Either way, Jongho didn't seem to recognize them, and other than himself, Seonghwa didn't think anyone else remembered Jongho.

Pushing his thoughts away, Seonghwa adjusted his glasses and packed away his books, smiling as he followed his friends to the canteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was a bit long... I had too much fun writing about Seonghwa's flashback, and I wanted to give more content to the other members as well. Please like if you enjoyed it!
> 
> \- Nerdy Giraffe


	4. I Told You to Leave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small argument between Jongho and Yunho in the school cafeteria.

Being the last to pick their meals, Seonghwa and Hongjoong looked around the overcrowded canteen in search of their friends. Mingi spotted them first and waved them over to a table at the very far end of the room, next to a window. 

As they slowly made their way through the crowd, Hongjoong turned to his companion, who had to raise his voice over the incessant chatter. "By the way, did you end up telling off Jongho this morning?"

"Who?" Hongjoong squeezed in between two juniors, thinking about all the rule-breakers he encountered this morning. "Ah, that one. Nope, I only handed out a slip to one student today, and it was because I caught her roaming in the halls in the middle of a lesson. Sent her to the principal's office. Why?"

Seonghwa garnered his friend's attention, but there was still no sign of recognition. "Just curious," he shrugged with a wistful smile. "I heard you're one of the most insufferable student presidents we ever had."

Hongjoong scoffed. "Yah, what do you mean? Still regretting giving me the spot? I doubt you'd be any better than me, Park Seonghwa."

"What's this prattle about?" Yeosang asked as the two of them sat down. Then he turned this way and that, as if looking for something. "Wait, didn't Yunho come with you?"

San stood up on his seat and surveyed the area, using Mingi's head as support. There was no way they could miss a white-haired boy among the sea of black and brown. "Nope, not here. Is he still in the washroom?" 

Suddenly, Mingi elbowed Wooyoung exaggeratedly, almost causing San to lose his balance and Wooyoung to choke himself with the chopsticks in his hand. "Look, look, isn't that him?"

All six of them followed Mingi's gaze to the canteen entrance, where a long queue of students were waiting to get their lunch. Close to the front of the line, Yunho looked like he was talking to the person next to him. 

Using his chopsticks, Wooyoung pointed at the tray next to his. "But his food is here, why is he lining up again?"

"Ah, Wooyoung, did the economics test fry your brain just now?" Mingi ruffled Wooyoung's mauve hair and laughed. San, who was sitting directly opposite of Wooyoung, was practically shooting lasers at Mingi. "That dude's obviously Jongho."

"Tsk-tsk. Look at his face, that cherubic smile. No wonder he got the Friendship Award five years in a row during primary school." Yeosang took a sip of his orange juice, whilst Mingi stared at him with puzzlement. Yeosang ignored his question about what cherubic meant.

Meanwhile, Wooyoung chewed on his kimchi loudly. "How can Yunho be so chill? If I were him, I would've beaten up that guy for slamming into me." 

San chuckled, clearly amused. "Sounds like you're jealous that Yunho's being nicer to a stranger than he is to you." 

In response, Wooyoung blew away a few strands of his fringe away from his face and smirked. "Why would I, when I already have you?"

A blush crept up San's neck and cheeks, almost as red as the highlights in his hair. Everyone else laughed, except Seonghwa. He wasn't paying attention to their conversation, and was instead studying Yunho and Jongho from behind his wire-rimmed glasses with a frame that glimmered under the sun.

"Shouldn't you go back to your table?" Jongho cleared his throat with slight annoyance. He didn't understand why Yunho was following him around, when he made him fall in the corridor earlier. "I don't think your friends will like it if you're talking to me. You should leave me. I'm an outcast."

Yunho seemed oblivious to Jongho's irritation, or decided to deliberately ignore it, because instead of replying directly, he said, "whatever, I'm not hungry yet. You look familiar to me, but I guess it's because we study in the same year. What classes do you take?"

Jongho suppressed his urge to sigh. He thought that if he kept quiet, maybe Yunho would eventually give up and go away. He didn't want to give Yunho the impression that he was insolent, but he had a feeling this was the only way to drive Yunho away. He was in no mood to make friends, even if he wanted to, which he didn't. He never would, not after what had happened the last time he tried.

Plus, he felt like someone was spying on him at that moment, making him uncomfortable. He glanced around the canteen, and there, at the far end: the same pair of cat eyes from this morning. This time, shivers went down Jongho's spine. 

He turned around swiftly and narrowed his eyes at Yunho. "Your friend keeps staring at me."

Yunho spotted Seonghwa and laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, Seonghwa's the type to quietly observe everything around him instead of taking action. I bet he's just thinking of a way to approach you." Then, he turned his back to Jongho, who was filling his tray with food, and gestured to Seonghwa to look away and stop being such a creep. 

Seonghwa pretended to listen for a while, but as soon as Yunho looked away, he continued watching them, feeling entertained.

Jongho took that chance to skip ahead, hoping that Yunho would lose him among everyone else, but Yunho was tall enough to spot Jongho near the vending machine. Jongho cursed mentally and started to run away, but something made him stop in his tracks.

Yunho was fast-walking towards Jongho, while a student, probably one or two years younger, was running across with a tray in one hand and a bowl of hot soup in another - that kid must've been an idiot!

The accident occurred and ended faster than Jongho could think, "holy shi--", but he clearly saw everything that happened right in front of him.

The junior tripped - of course -, sending the things he was holding into the air. Yunho, who was right in the student's path, halted and stuck his hands out, as if he wanted to catch the tray. Before Jongho could react, the tray landed perfectly in Yunho's arms, only a few pieces of radish and rice falling to the floor. 

There was no time to be satisfied. Jongho watched in horror as the hot liquid flew out of the flying bowl, coming straight at Yunho, who paid no attention. Jongho was already bracing for the impact when the impossible happened. A short girl, looking like she was late for a meeting, dashed in front of Yunho towards the exit. Startled, he raised his arms to let the girl past, and by doing so, he protected his head. The soup deflected off the tray, most of it ending up on the floor, while some of the fluid splashed to nearby students. 

Seonghwa saw everything, and was standing up to go check on Yunho. When he approached, he realized his help was not needed.

Jongho gave his lunch to a random person next to him and rushed to Yunho. "Are you okay?" 

Yunho nodded, somehow still smiling. "Yea--"

Jongho took the tray from Yunho's hands and put it on a nearby table. Then, he pulled Yunho to the side, away from the mess on the floor. Neither of them had noticed Seonghwa yet. 

"I told you to leave me," Jongho hissed, his grip on Yunho's forearm getting stronger. 

Yunho winced at the pain, but didn't complain. "Please calm down, Jongho. I'm not even hurt, look." He used his free arm to gesture his whole body, which was indeed spotless. Not even a drop of sauce got onto his shoes, which almost seemed impossible.

"You didn't have to give away your lunch... do you want some of mine?" Yunho's smile was back, but Jongho only glared at him. He flung Yunho's arm away harshly and tromped towards the exit.

Seonghwa was standing near the doorway, and when Jongho passed by, he thought for sure he heard him mumble, "you should've stayed away... then none of that would've happened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some drama! It took a while for the interesting parts to come out but I promise it will only get more exciting from now on, so stick around!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading ☺️


	5. Give it a Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seonghwa meets Jongho in a park and they have a serious conversation.

The sky was already dark when Seonghwa stepped out of the school gates. His after-school elite classes went on longer than usual, so he set off on his way home by himself. 

Instead of taking the bus or being picked up by a family member, Seonghwa liked to walk home whenever he had the chance, even though his home was 20 minutes away. It gave him time to relax, to pay attention to the smaller things around him. 

And sometimes, he got to notice things other people couldn't.

On this particular day, he spotted a familiar figure sitting alone on a gently swaying swing. It was too dark to make out the details, but Seonghwa was fairly certain the boy was wearing the same uniform as his.

As if they had a will on their own, Seonghwa's legs started towards the park entrance, and as he got closer, he realized that the boy was Jongho. 

After hesitating for a split second, Seonghwa decided to sit on the only other empty swing. Jongho look up to see who had interrupted his alone time, and the moment he caught the glimmer of Seonghwa's glasses - mirroring that of Seonghwa's dark orbs - he turned away, uncomfortable under the gaze.

"Why are you here?" Jongho mumbled, frustrated. First Yunho, now him, too?

Seonghwa was quiet for a second. "I feel like I should apologize." 

Jongho raised an eyebrow, but kept his back to Seonghwa. "For what?"

"First, on behalf of my friends, the attitude they gave you this morning. They aren't usually like that, I promise. Second, I'm sorry for staring at you sometimes. It's a habit I can't seem to get rid of; once I'm interested in something, I won't stop looking for answers until I'm satisfied."

Abruptly, Jongho spun around, mildly abashed but also incredulous. He thought he heard wrong. "You're interested in me? What, am I like an object for you to admire? An exhibition in a museum?" 

Seonghwa remained calm, his expression placid. After some thought, he came to the conclusion that he had to be straightforward with Jongho. Small talk had no effect on impulsive people. 

"We met before, Jongho." 

Jongho froze up, but quickly hid his surprise with another mocking sneer. "What are you talking about? Maybe you should go home."

"No, Jongho. Try to remember." Seonghwa pushed himself lightly off the sand-filled ground so that he was swinging a little, to remind Jongho that their first encounter was also at a swing set. 

Jongho scoffed. "Who are you to tell me what to do? Just go home, I beg you. Leave me alone." 

"There it is again."

"What?"

"'Leave me alone.' You said it multiple times before." Seonghwa was now full-on swinging, and sometimes we went up so high that Jongho had to strain his ears in order to hear the words. "Why do you want others to leave you so much? Is that why you don't have friends?"

That made Jongho stand up, flaming with anger. "Mind your own business. Who do you think you are? We barely just met!"

"I told you already, we knew each other before. We were probably five or six years old, and I was sure you and Yunho already became close friends."

Jongho faltered at the mention of Yunho. It wasn't like Seonghwa would drag Yunho, his friend, into this mess. 

When Jongho continued to be speechless, Seonghwa stopped swinging and watched Jongho quietly. "Why are you here, Jongho? Shouldn't you go home?"

Jongho sat back down, defeated and tired, but he didn't want to go home - he couldn't, not yet. He couldn't begin to think what kind of tragedy he would bring home to his mother. In response, he only shook his head.

"Did you argue with your parents?" Seonghwa ventured carefully, afraid to go too fast. He was almost there. If he failed now, Jongho would surely run away.

Jongho shook his head. "I just can't. I..." 

"What is it? Why can't you go home? Why do you keep pushing Yunho - or anyone - away? Maybe I can-" Seonghwa almost said help, but that would be a mistake. He started over. "The thing that's on your mind, bothering you so much... I don't know what is it, or whether it's a problem you can solve with just a little bit of help. But if you'd like, I'll be here to listen."

Seonghwa held his breath as the silence stretched on. The only occasional sound was the one or two cars zooming past on the main road. Jongho's eyes were shut, as if he was holding back tears.

Finally, with a very soft voice, Jongho said, "people get hurt around me."

Seonghwa, who was unconsciously leaning towards Jongho all this time, leaned back now. It was close to the answer he was expecting, if not the exact one. Three times he witnessed Yunho getting into accidents, and three times Jongho was the cause. But from Jongho's tone, it was evident that Yunho wasn't the only victim, and the explanation was definitely not as simple as "he's just clumsy".

"I'm sorry," Jongho added, before Seonghwa could think of the next thing to say. His eyes widened at the sudden apology. "I shouldn't have shouted at your friend today. But... I can't risk making friends... not after what happened when I was younger. No matter what, accidents continue to happen, and they end up despising me. So wouldn't it be better if I remained a stranger with everyone else?"

Seonghwa chose to keep quiet, not because he didn't know what to say, but because he was ruminating. Jongho lifted his head, as if only noticing the presence of another person. "I've stayed here too long. Don't get close to me anymore. Good-"

"How about Yunho?" Seonghwa interrupted, not letting Jongho leave just yet. 

"What do you mean? He's no different, so please tell him to stop bothering me. One day he, too, will get into an accident." Jongho shouldered his backpack, turning to the park gates.

"He already did, though." 

Jongho paused, his fists closing tight around the straps. Seonghwa took this chance to catch up, and he blocked Jongho's path.

"That's not what I meant, Jongho. You don't have to be afraid of hanging around Yunho, because nothing ever happened to him." Jongho tried to make his way past, but Seonghwa was always one step ahead. His gaze grew more intense, and Jongho had no choice but to return the eye contact. 

"Think about it, he never got hurt - not in the cafeteria, not in the corridor, not in the play--" Seonghwa stopped himself. "Anyways, I'm just saying that... maybe this time it won't be a problem. Yunho likes you, he wants to be your friend. Give it a shot, and you might get a friend."

Jongho looked away. Seonghwa already stepped to the side, so he was free to go, but something glued his feet to the ground. Something Seonghwa said kept echoing in his mind.

[I] He wants to be your friend.

Finally, Jongho gave one last glance to Seonghwa, bit his lip, and headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did Jongho bite his lip? Was he about to cry? Was he angry? Sad? Stick around to find out!
> 
> Remember to give kudos if you liked it!


	6. Let's Be Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yunho and Jongho pairs up for a group assignment.

It had been almost two months after that night at the park, and Jongho barely saw Seonghwa since. Even during recess and lunch, when they often crossed paths, Seonghwa was keeping his distance, as if he forgot that conversation even happened at all. 

However, Jongho still had this feeling of being watched.

On the other hand, Yunho was becoming harder to get rid of. In the beginning, it was all Jongho could do to keep from indulging in his attention. Yet the accidents came nonetheless. When Jongho ignored Yunho's greetings in the corridors, he turned around to find him face-down on the floor from tripping over his own legs. When Jongho hid behind a tree during recess, the basketball hoop collapsed and the court was closed for a week. When Jongho jumped out of a bus to avoid riding with Yunho, a car crash happened down the road.

Somehow, Yunho barely got a scratch - no, a bruise - from all of that. Other students did, though. But never him. 

As much as Jongho wanted to forget, he couldn't stop thinking back to what Seonghwa said that night. It was true that Yunho never got hurt, and even seemed unfazed by what could potentially be traumatizing accidents. Perhaps the curse had no effect on certain people, or maybe Yunho was immune somehow. If no harm came to him, what reason was there not to...?

[I]He wants to be your friend.

What was more important was that no one ever enjoyed Jongho's company. Years spent trying to drive people away meant that people saw him as an outcast. A small part of Jongho hoped that this might be his chance to make a friend, to enjoy his teenage-hood properly.

Maybe his desperation to get a taste of it was too strong, because on this day, he was given a chance to finally make a change in his life.

"This week, we will be starting a new assignment. It's not a big task, but I will give you two weeks to complete it," Ms. Lee said in the beginning of the class, gaining everyone's attention. "I would like you to work in pairs."

The class erupted in a chaos of groans and complaints. Ms. Lee slapped her meter ruler onto the blackboard three times, and everyone went quiet. 

"The instructions are online, but briefly speaking, you should make a video that can inspire your peers and juniors to become a better student. Make sure to..."

As Ms. Lee droned on, Wooyoung eyed San, who was sitting next to him. He pointed at San, then at himself, and then gestured towards the teacher. They nodded at the same time. There was never a group project that they didn't work on together.

Seonghwa's seat was towards the back of the classroom. He heard soft snores coming from behind and turned around. Mingi sat at the corner farthest from the teacher's desk. His head was in his arms and he was drooling. Seonghwa shook his head and sighed. If Mingi was lucky, Hongjoong would repeat everything the teacher said after class.

The student president was diligently writing notes, and probably already brainstorming ideas. Everyone wanted to be his partner, but he only chose people who actually did work. It usually came down to Seonghwa or Yeosang. 

Being the top student of the year, Yeosang couldn't care less about who he worked with, as long as that person was a good enough actor to convince the teacher that it wasn't all Yeosang's work.

Yunho, as usual, was grinning excitedly. He loved teamwork, and silently hoped that Ms. Lee would let them choose their own partners. He sneaked a glance at Jongho, hoping to get his attention, but failed... to his expectation.

Yunho never felt deflated when Jongho ignored him. For the past two months, he felt he was actually making progress, even if it was just a little. This time, Yunho's instinct told him things were going to work out exactly the way he wanted.

"Song Mingi." Ms. Lee's raised voice snapped everyone back to reality, especially the sleeping beauty. He even had the audacity to stretch and yawn as if he was at home. 

Ms. Lee's anger was almost palpable to the students sitting at the front - they dipped their heads and avoided eye contact as much as possible. "What did I just say about pairing up?"

Mingi gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "Uh..." San snickered and Seonghwa sighed again, but with a corner of his mouth curved slightly upwards.

Ms. Lee waited two seconds before repeating herself in an even louder voice. "I said, I would like you to pair up with someone you have never worked with before."

The rest of the students who also weren't listening opened their mouths in a gasp now. Wooyoung frowned, because that meant he couldn't work with San anymore. Everyone else looked just as distressed for losing this freedom to choose their friend.

Except for Yunho, who was smiling as bright as ever, and Jongho, who was nonchalant and perhaps even a little amused to find that his classmates were all upset. 

For Yunho, it meant that he could finally work with Jongho, because he remembered everyone he ever teamed up with, and Jongho wasn't on the list. 

Once Ms. Lee gave the permission to find a partner and start discussing about the project, Yunho jumped from his seat and practically skipped to Jongho's desk against the side of the room, underneath a window. Jongho was just about to stand up as well, but sat back down when he felt another person's presence next to him.

"Hi, Jongho." Yunho waved, unnecessarily. He walked to the front of Jongho's desk and put his hands on the two corners, leaning forwards. The sunlight landed on Yunho's white hair, giving it the silvery glint. "Let's be partners."

It came out sounding like a statement more than anything, as if they were already paired up by default. Jongho's first instinct was to search the back of his head for an excuse to refuse without hurting Yunho's feelings, but he stopped himself.

Yunho's dark eyes looked browner under the light, and there was no mistake about the amount of hope it reflected. Jongho saw that Yunho's long index and middle fingers were overlapping - crossed - at the corner of his eyes. 

In spite of himself, Jongho smiled. 

[I]He wants to be your friend.

When? If not now?

Almost imperceptibly, Jongho nodded. When Yunho's smile grew wider, Jongho broke eye contact and looked away. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, but Yunho ignored his embarrassment and ruffled his black hair. 

Seonghwa, too, failed to suppress a smile. He had dragged his chair to sit across from Mingi, his new partner. Instead of a mind map, Mingi's notebook was full of doodles. "Why did you choose me, anyways? I thought you'd go for Yunho for sure."

Seonghwa turned back to Mingi and blinked. "Ah... well... I think Jongho's the only person Yunho hadn't worked with, so..."

Mingi cocked his head. "Really? I'm quite certain he hadn't worked with you." 

"Nah, no way. You remembered wrong." Seonghwa waved a hand to dismiss the conversation. "Come on, focus on brainstorming, not drawing. If not, I'll tell Ms. Lee."

"Alright, alright!" Mingi ripped out the page and started on a blank one. 

Seonghwa looked back at Jongho and Yunho, who were talking to each other while pointing at something - probably some ideas - on a laptop screen. In truth, he had wanted to partner with Yunho at first, but when he saw Yunho walking towards Jongho's desk, he knew he better not ruin the beginning of their friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has Jongho finally gotten rid of his curse? Can he begin to live a normal teenager's life? Stick around to find out! If you like this story so far, please vote! :)


	7. We're Having a Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongho's new friends invite him to a party.

The classroom was filled with cheers, applause, and even some standing ovations with ear-piercing "woos!" that got death-glares from Ms. Lee.

It was Friday two weeks later, and the class was taking turns showcasing their final videos. The desks and chairs were rearranged to transform the room into an impromptu theater. Yunho was sitting next to Jongho, and they gave each other a high-five. They had done a great job to elicit such an enthusiastic reaction from everybody.

The bell rang just as the credits of the final video scrolled on the screen. The class hastily returned their chairs to the original positions and hurried out the door. 

"Class, you all did well today. Get some rest during the weekend and prepare for your exams!" Ms. Lee shouted desperately at the last trickle of students, hoping that they would pass on the words to their fellow classmates.

Seonghwa was the last to leave. He nodded and smiled politely at the teacher before closing the door behind him. Outside, the sun was shining brightly, a large contrast compared to the dim atmosphere of the classroom. Seonghwa raised a hand to block out the rays that were blinding him, and saw that his friends were waiting a few steps ahead.

Jongho was there, too. 

The eight of them went to the canteen together for lunch. The queue was so long, as usual. Fortunately, lunch was almost an hour long. 

Yunho and Jongho were close to the front when they heard a random student complaining to the lunch lady. "How can there be no more chicken left?"

"Don't blame me, kid. If you wanted a choice, you should've came earlier."

"Please!"

"If you're not going to take your shrimp, get going and don't hold up the line, mister. Don't make me call your teacher."

The student groaned and tromped away angrily. Jongho frowned, mirroring Yunho's troubled expression. Having worked together for the past week meant that these two got to know each other better, and Jongho had learnt that Yunho liked any kind of food, except shrimp, which he was allergic to. 

"What should we do?" They were getting closer to the front of the line, and Jongho's tone betrayed his worry. 

Yunho was smiling - when was he not? - when he replied, "it's ok, Jongho. Usually I'm lucky enough to get the last available serving that isn't shrimp, but I guess my luck ran out today. I can survive one afternoon with rice and some kimchi." 

Oh no. Jongho's first thought was that his curse was kicking in again. Although not having meat during lunch didn't seem like a big deal, it was close to a disaster for a big eater like Jongho. He instantly felt guilty for Yunho's misfortune. "How can that be? You should tell the staff, they should know-- No, I'll talk to them--"

Jongho's words were abruptly cut off by another voice, much louder, booming through the whole canteen. "Students, today is your lucky day! We got some extra beef lying around in the fridge, and the chef decided to treat you all!"

The students in-line cheered, some punching their fists in the air triumphantly. The student who complained earlier was sitting nearby, and whined with indignation. Meanwhile, Yunho's face lit up and looked to see if Jongho was relieved, too. 

Sure enough, he was, but all Yunho saw was a shocked, rather nonplussed face. Jongho was not only surprised at Yunho's sheer luck, but also at the fact that, once again, his curse was “rejected” when the target was Yunho. 

"Come on, Jongho," Yunho chuckled. "It's not the first day you know me. I'm just born with a blessing." 

Jongho knew Yunho meant it as a joke, but he was still half in-awe as he brought his lunch to the table. The incident was quickly brushed to the back of his mind as he joined the group. Yunho was already sitting down with the rest.

It was a tight squeeze at a table meant for six, but San didn't mind making space if it meant that he was going to be squished up next to Wooyoung shoulder-to-shoulder. 

Seonghwa was right beside, with the only empty space next to him. Jongho slid in, right across from Yunho, and saw that Mingi was already digging in. Hongjoong and Yeosang seemed annoyed by Mingi's elbows that were jutting right into their faces.

"Hold up," Mingi looked up with a mouth full of rice. "Is that beef?"

"So what if it is?" Yunho smirked and took a bite, but not before holding it in front of Mingi to tempt him. "Only nice people like me are rewarded with such delicacy." 

Everyone giggled, especially Yeosang and Hongjoong. They slapped the poor boy sitting in between them, almost choking him.

"Yah! Stop it!" Mingi groaned. "I wish I can get a refill." He stared at his tray wistfully.

"You know we can't," Hongjoong said, tearing away the straw from his boxed juice. "Every student is limited to one meal every lunch; unless you wanna pay extra." 

Mingi looked both shocked and offended. "Man, did you memorize our handbook or something?"

Wooyoung snickered behind his bowl of soup. "Perks of being friends with class president. You're always reminded of the rules."

"I always thought it's a privilege to be friends with the class president, since you can get away from the rules, no?"

Everyone turned to look at the person who said that. 

Jongho suddenly felt very self-conscious. What was he thinking? They barely knew him - the only reason why he was even sitting with them was because of Yunho. Other than Seonghwa, he hadn't even talked to the others before. Jongho fumbled with his words, trying to think a way to back out of this awkward situation. He was doing so well, he should have kept his mouth shut...

Then, Hongjoong started laughing. Jongho's eyes widened. He stared as one by one, the friends around the table joined in the laughter. Yunho gave Jongho an encouraging nod, and finally, he laughed, too.

"I didn't know you could be funny, Jongho," Hongjoong said. He turned to Yunho. "You should've introduced us sooner!"

"Well, I thought..." Yunho started, but was soon interrupted by San, who exclaimed.

"Hey, let's invite Jongho to our party!"

"Yeah, I agree." Wooyoung was the first to raise his hand and show his support.

"Me, too." Seonghwa smiled.

Mingi, Yeosang, and Hongjoong all nodded simultaneously. 

There was no need to even wait for Yunho's approval; all of them knew how much he favored Jongho. 

While everyone was excited at the prospect of a party, Jongho was left confused. 

Yeosang seemed to be the only one who was prepared to answer. "We're having a party at Wooyoung's place after exams are over, to just have fun. No alcohol, though. Don't worry."

Jongho broke into a wide grin. It was the first time he was being invited to a party in high school. He was more than glad to experience this before he graduated. 

Yeosang took the smile as an agreement, then added, "don't forget to bring food!"

The table erupted into laughter again. It was meant to be a joke, but Yunho suspected that Jongho had no idea.

"Sure!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A party sounds fun! Is Jongho’s life finally going to return to normal? His new friends are accepting him, and his curse seems to be kept at bay at the moment...


	8. I Think it'll be Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongho has fun in Wooyoung's party.

"Time's up! Pens down."

The sound of pencils dropping on desks echoed around the gym-turned exam hall. Some chairs squeaked as students leaned back for a stretch after two hours of heads-down writing. A few teachers made their way down the rows, collecting the papers.

"Congratulations," a teacher standing at the front spoke into a microphone after all their desks were clean. "That was the final paper of the year." The students cheered and gave each other high-fives. "You may slowly make your way out now. See you all next week."

More than a hundred students started towards the doors, their thundering footsteps creating a tremor on the ground. Jongho cautiously made his way among the crowd so he wouldn't get crushed under the running people. 

Outside the school gates, a lot of family and friends were waiting. Jongho looked around, and spotted a familiar figure waving at him. He started towards his mother, but as he got closer he was surprised to see someone else.

After stopping in his tracks for a bit, he put on a smile and picked up his pace.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" 

Yunho ruffled Jongho's hair. "To pick my friend up, of course." 

"You didn't have to." Jongho scratched the back of his head. "Wooyoung's place is not that far away."

Yunho shook his head. "You're the only one who had to take the final chemistry paper. I'm not going to leave you here while everyone else are getting ready to have fun."

Jongho's mother stepped forward. "Yunho was already here when I got here. I recognized him from the times you brought him home to work on your project." She looked down at the lime wrapping cloth in her hands. "I packed some kimchi, kimbap, and tteokbokki. Share it with your friends."

"Mom..." Jongho started, already beginning to refuse, but remembered that Yunho was there and decided not to embarrass himself. "Alright, then," he acquiesced as he took the boxes from his mom. "I'll be back before midnight."

"Silly boy, you're a grown man now. You don't have to tell me when you're coming home!" She gave Jongho a hug. "Just behave yourself, and stay safe!" 

With that, she turned around and headed home. Jongho waved at her back until she turned a corner, and then sighed. "She must've made a lot this time." He lifted the packed food up for Yunho to see, who chuckled in return.

"Come on, they're all waiting for you."

Wooyoung's suite was on the top floor, so he had the biggest apartment in the building and access to the roof.

Yunho was teaching for the doorbell when the door opened from the inside, and he pulled back in surprise, almost stepping onto Jongho behind him. 

A pair of middle-aged couple walked out, bickering. When the lady spotted Yunho, she shrieked and lost balance on her heels. 

"Oh! I didn't see you there!" She let go of the grip she had on her husband. "Are you one of Wooyoung's friends?"

Jongho and Yunho bowed politely and greeted Wooyoung's parents. "We just came from the final exam, sorry for being a little late."

"It's alright! My husband and I are just leaving to our own date." Wooyoung's mom chuckled happily as the two of them made their way to the elevators. "Go and have fun!"

They waved goodbye and was just about to head into the lift when the mother spun around abruptly. "Wait! I almost forgot - can you remind Wooyoung and your other friends to not go near the lamp on the roof? We're replacing it and it's not finished yet, so it might be dangerous."

Jongho smiled and promised her, and waited until she disappeared behind the lift doors before closing Wooyoung's apartment door behind him.

Immediately to the left of the doorway was an open kitchen with a long bar table that was filled with pizza and fried chicken. Mingi was rummaging through the fridge. On the other end of the room was a living room with couches and beanbags and armchairs in front of a large TV. A hallway opened up next to the TV which led to more rooms, including the stairs to the roof. Jongho marveled at how big this place was.

"Yunho!" Wooyoung spotted them coming in and made his way through his living room to greet them. San followed closely behind. "We've been waiting for you!" 

"Ah, you didn't have to wait for us before you ate lunch." Yunho smiled sheepishly. 

Jongho still stood by the door, nervous. He was never invited to anyone's home before, and he was still feeling a little unsure about his new group of friends. He wondered if he should just leave before he brings trouble to this party when Seonghwa walked over.

"How was the exam?" Seonghwa noticed the packed food in Jongho's hands and took them. "You actually brought food? We meant it as a joke!" 

Yeosang, the one who made the joke, perked up from the couch he was lounging in. Hongjoong paused the TV drama they were watching on Netflix and joined everyone else in the kitchen.

"You must be hungry from using your brain so much," said Hongjoong. "Go ahead, we were going to start lunch anyway."

Jongho didn't want to look so eager, but he was indeed starving. Seonghwa read his expression and they giggled, making Jongho feel more welcomed in this strange place.

Mingi had finally found the soda he was looking for in the fridge and placed them down next to the food. He helped himself with a drumstick, and chewed loudly as if he wasn't the guest but the owner of the home. 

One by one the hungry boys each picked up some food onto their plates, and only then did Jongho allow himself to get a slice of pizza. 

After settling down his grumbling stomach, Yunho asked the group about their plan. "I mean, we could play video games all afternoon, but I don't think there's enough controllers for all of us."

"We should do something that we can only do when we're all together like this," Yeosang added.

Wooyoung snapped his fingers at an idea that came to his mind. "I got some old board games stored under my bed. Should we play those?"

Everyone liked his suggestion and they agreed unanimously. Wooyoung looked to Jongho, who didn't think he had the right to vote. "What do you think, Jongho?"

Jongho stopped midway through chewing his chicken and looked around the seven pairs of eyes that stared at him. It was not unlike the first day they met in the corridor, but this time they were friendly gazes instead of hostile ones. Yunho gave him an encouraging nod. He swallowed and smiled. "I think it will be fun."

"That's solved, then!" Wooyoung picked up his cup, only to find it empty.

"After that, are we still having barbecue on the roof?" San asked innocently, sharing his drink with Wooyoung. 

"Of course, the food is there." Hongjoong pointed to a cooler, along with forks and other utensils, in the corner of the kitchen. "I carried it all the way here, so don't even think of not doing the bbq." 

Jongho laughed. Feeling full, he placed down his empty plate. He looked around the group of boys surrounding him and wondered how long it has been since he felt a part of something. He felt a sense of warmth coming from them, and he was more than excited to enjoy the rest of the day in a wonderful party with these people who he call friends.

Yes, it was going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this and then I found out half the chapter was MISSING. It must’ve failed to save properly ㅠㅠ Anyways, I typed it all back (to the best of my memory). 
> 
> I sure hope Jongho can enjoy the evening with his friends!


	9. Is There Something You Wanted to Say?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys enjoy a barbeque, a movie, and then they played a short basketball game.

After hours of intense Twister and crazy Monopoly that involved more-than-necessary amounts of screaming, all the lunch was thoroughly digested, leaving the eight healthy teenage boys whining in hunger once again.

"Let's start the barbecue!" Mingi threw down his cards - they just began a new round of UNO - and shouted. "Can you guys hear my stomach?"

Yeosang pretended to listen, when in truth he was taking a peek at the hand that Mingi gave up on. 

Hongjoong glances up at the clock on the wall, which read 6:23pm. After a moment, he, too, stacked his cards in a pile and returned it to the table. "Actually, Mingi's right. A barbecue party can take hours, and if we start now we can even have a movie night afterwards."

"Yeah, unless something happens," Wooyoung added.

San raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like, if someone ate everything and we have to go out to buy more." Wooyoung looked sideways at the blue-haired giant, who wore a petulant pout on his face.

"Alright, alright," Yunho chuckled and stood up from the floor. "Let's get started. We're all hungry anyways, right?" He was looking at Jongho, who sat on the couch beside Seonghwa.

"Oh, yea- yeah." Jongho followed suit and stood up.

Seonghwa remained silent but trailed behind the group to the stairs that led to the rooftop, each of them picking up some food and equipment on the way from the kitchen. 

After setting everything up, the sun was just beginning to set. 

"It's almost summer!" San exclaimed, jumping excitedly at the beautiful sky splashed with streaks of orange and pink. Wooyoung smiled as he helped Yeosang set up the outdoor table.

Jongho volunteered to grill the meat. During the past few weeks of exams, everyone was focused on their studies, but after a whole afternoon with the group, Jongho felt more comfortable with them, and didn't mind when Hongjoong joined in with him. "It's alright, Seonghwa and I can handle this; go join Mingi and Yunho."

Jongho turned to see them swinging on a swinging chair on the far side of the roof. When he saw the way Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong, he decided right away to leave the two alone. 

"How rich is Wooyoung's family, for real?" Mingi was having the time of his life, while Yunho helped push the chair so Mingi could swing higher, which, after all, wasn't really high because it wasn't a real swing. "I mean, why spend money on a swinging chair when you can get a bench?"

Yunho stopped when he saw Jongho eyeing the lamp post nearby. It was cordoned off with some rope and an old fence post in the corner of the roof where a small basketball court was. One of its three heads were lying sideways on the ground, missing a light bulb. The remaining two, looking brand new, hung on their turned hooks at the top of the post. A step ladder, opened, stood underneath, with a toolbox and some screws scattered around.

"That must be the lamp Wooyoung's mom was talking about. Seems like they are installing a new one." Yunho ignored Mingi's complaints and approached Jongho. "We better leave it alone."

"Hey, guys! Dinner's ready!" Wooyoung called everyone to the table. Yeosang was serving beef while Seonghwa continued tending the meat that grizzled on the grill.

Without waiting for Mingi, Yunho gave Jongho a smile and started towards the food. "Let's go!"

For two hours, the eight of them shared their childhood stories, talked about their future, and learnt more secrets from each other. Jongho gradually opened up and joined in the conversation, but effectively avoided talking about his curse. He was aware that the whole day has gone by without any accident, and he wasn't about to jinx it.

When everyone was beginning to put down their forks and chopsticks, Mingi was still chewing at scraps. Yeosang suggested that they had dessert while watching Frozen 2. 

"Sure, I have all kinds of ice cream downstairs," Wooyoung replied. 

With the idea of ice cream in their minds, Mingi stood and began stacking the plates. "What are you guys waiting for?"

Back in the suite, Seonghwa and Hongjoong loaded the dishwasher. San and Wooyoung set up the movie with popcorn and ice cream. Yeosang, Mingi, Jongho and Yunho stayed on the roof to clear up their mess. 

An hour later, they settled back in the lounge, cuddled up and cozy. 

Mingi was just using his spoon as a pretend-microphone to sing along to "Show Yourself" when Jongho felt someone poke him in the shoulder. He turned around and saw that is was Yunho, who sat on the couch. Almost everyone else sat on the floor around the coffee table or on the armchairs by the side. Yunho patted the empty seat beside him and Jongho quietly slid in. 

Since the both of them watched the movie before, neither of them were really paying attention, and Jongho would've fallen asleep if Yunho didn't grab his attention.

"Hey, you wanna go get some fresh air?" 

Jongho looked around - Yeosang was dozing off, Hongjoong was sharing the last of his ice cream with Seonghwa, Mingi was singing, and San and Wooyoung's eyes were glued to the screen. None of them would even notice if they slipped away.

So that was how, a few minutes later, Jongho found himself back on the roof with Yunho. Although it was hot in the day, there was a chill in the nighttime breeze. Jongho seemed unbothered in his t-shirt and shorts, but Yunho shivered slightly. 

They walked almost fully around the perimeter before Jongho finally stopped and asked, "is there something you wanted to say?"

Yunho halted and, for the first time since Jongho met him, avoided eye contact. He opened his mouth, words about to escape, before it was sucked back in by a loud bang coming from the door to the stairway. 

Wooyoung and San walked out, with Mingi trailing behind. Turns out Yunho wasn't the only one who thought to come out. 

"There they are!" Mingi shouted and waved. Jongho ignored the greeting and observed Yunho's expression. They were easy to read as a book, and this time there was a hint of disappointment, but was quickly covered up by a smile.

"Hey, why are you guys up here?" Yunho walked over, forcing Jongho to follow.

"The movie ended, but Yeosang fell asleep and, well..." Wooyoung started, but couldn't stop chuckling that San had to finish the sentence for him. "We started up another film - a more romantic one, and told Hongjoong we were heading up for a walk to digest the food. Mingi didn't want to be left alone downstairs, so--"

"What, come on." Mingi interrupted. "I can't stay down there even if I wanted to. They started playing “Titanic”. I'm surprised Seonghwa didn't refuse. Let's hope Yeosang doesn't wake up and third-wheel them."

"'Jaackk'..." San imitated, only making Wooyoung laugh harder.

Even Jongho couldn't suppress a smile. The five of them started walking again, and when they arrived the corner where the basketball court was, Mingi stopped and mimicked a shot.

"Actually, there's a ball right here if you want to play." Jongho pointed at a dark corner, where the broken lamp was. Jongho was surprised that the two light bulbs at the top remained dark, meaning that the whole roof was lit up except here. 

"Pass it over," Wooyoung shouted. Then they started passing the ball around and taking turns shooting hoops casually. 

Yunho was being exceptionally quiet, but Jongho didn't have time to think about it, because the ball appeared in his hands and it was his turn. It had been a while since he last played, so when he threw it he did it with a little too much strength, and it bounced right off the backboard and flew out of bounds.

Mingi, who was closest to the court sideline, ran for it, afraid that the ball will go right off the roof. He jumped and caught it in midair, earning a cheer from San. Unfortunately, his momentum meant he didn't stop running, and because it was so dark at that corner, he didn't see the screwdriver lying on the ground.

He stepped right on it, losing his balance as well as his grip on the ball. Jongho opened his mouth but no sound came out as he watched Mingi fall forward, breaking the weak rope barrier and crashing right into the step ladder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was Yunho about to say before he was interrupted? Why did he look disappointed? If you're curious, I hope you will keep reading to find out, because something big is about to happen!


	10. Listen to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accident occurs on the rooftop.

Mingi's outstretched arms flailed around frantically, desperate for something to hold on. With everything so dark around him, this simple task became impossible and his left arm stabbed through the gap between two steps of the ladder, aiming straight into the open toolbox. His right arm briefly knocked onto something hard and cold - the lamp post - but his fingers missed and his body fell first.

Jongho shouted a second after Mingi's forehead and the cold metal made a soft clang. It wasn't over. To Jongho's horror, the top of the lamp wobbled. Suddenly, all the screws around the floor made sense - the lamp post hadn't been secured to the ground. Jongho prayed for it to stabilize, but Mingi's body weight slumped against it, and it started tilting... 

"Yunho!" Wooyoung's high-pitched scream caught Jongho's attention. 

Yunho had been distracted by the basketball and was in the process of picking it up. He was oblivious that he was crouching right in the middle of the lamp post's trajectory.

Wooyoung sprinted towards him, eyes flashing between the human figure and the lamp post, which was gaining speed as it fell. But San was closer, lighter, faster. He leapt and pushed Yunho out of the lamp's path, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.

Wooyoung came to a stop abruptly when he saw San fly past him. His voice cracked with the shriek that escaped his lips, but nothing would - could - stop whatever that was coming.

With the help of San's push, Yunho rolled a few times on the ground, safely out of the lamp's trajectory. He looked stunned, yet unhurt. 

But.

There was always a but. 

Jongho felt the blood drain out of his face as he watched the lamp post land on the ground. When San saved Yunho and landed on the ground, he couldn't push himself away in time, and his left leg was close, way too close.

The momentum and height of the lamp allowed it to bounce against the ground a few times before it truly came to rest. When it hit the ground a second time, one of the heads flew out of its hook and shattered - right on San's leg.

The impact itself would've been painful enough, but the shards of glass that made holes in San's calves and stained his white skin with red made Wooyoung's legs grow weak. 

A whimper escaped his lips before he ran to San's side. From Jongho's vantage point, the figure lying on the ground seemed small, and it wasn't moving.

A groan nearby snapped Jongho out of his reverie. Mingi rolled over onto his back, rubbing his forehead with a hand. The screwdriver was no longer in sight, but the screws remained scattered around. The stepladder fell over, but somehow the extra lamp head was still intact.

Jongho went cold all over. The curse. He had to leave. He would leave, and never come back. 

He looked at Mingi again. He pulled his other arm out of the toolbox. It must've stabbed some sharp tool, because it was bleeding. Jongho's knees wobbled. Should he run? But they look hurt. Was Yunho alright? And, and... San?

"Guys!" 

Jongho whirled around, almost relieved to see help coming, but also felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Seonghwa, Hongjoong, and Yeosang must've heard all the commotion and came up.

Yeosang gasped as soon as the lamp post came in sight. Hongjoong joined Wooyoung's side and inspected San's wounds. Seonghwa didn't even wait before calling the ambulance. 

At this point, Yunho was back on his two feet and had turned around to get a hold of the situation. His eyes widened when he saw the blood, but Seonghwa's gaze told him to stay put. Instead, he went to Mingi to help him up.

Seonghwa put his phone away and placing a reassuring hand on Yeosang's shoulder. "They said they will come up to the roof in at most ten minutes." 

Seonghwa then crouched beside Wooyoung, who had started crying. "Hey," he said quietly. "Help is on the way. Let's calm you down, and when the ambulance comes, we can go together." Leave it up to Seonghwa for being the rational, reassuring and mature one.

Wooyoung didn't want to leave San's side, but Yeosang and Hongjoong pulled him away from the painful scene and back to the suite so he could get a cup of water. 

Finally, Seonghwa approached Jongho. Only then did Jongho realize he had fell to the floor. "Are you hurt anywhere?" Seonghwa helped him up, but Jongho's weight pulled him down. "Hey, what happened?"

Jongho shook his head. His eyes were blank. Seonghwa decided to leave him and went to Yunho and Mingi instead. 

"Mingi! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy and bleeding a little. Shouldn't you watch over San?" Mingi was now sitting up and leaning against the perimeter of the roof, with the help of Yunho. 

Seonghwa glanced back at the lamp post, his frown deepening. He was smart enough to figure out the gist of things. "I will. Yunho, do you want to bring Mingi down for an ice pack? And find something to stop the blood flow."

Yunho was pale, but he nodded and started pulling Mingi up, only to be rejected. "I can manage on my own. You should check on Jongho instead." His voice had a hint of venom in it, but he gave a concerned look towards Jongho's direction before trudging away. 

Seonghwa's phone rang, and he started towards San. Yunho looked around, realized he was left alone with Jongho, and his face went pale. His heart thumped in his chest and he felt light-headed.

When Jongho saw the familiar white hair, now turned a dull grey under the shadows, he stood up, suddenly angry. 

Jongho glared at Yunho, whose eyes started shimmering. Soon, the tears began to flow freely down his cheeks. That only fueled the flame inside Jongho.

Frankly, he knew where the anger came from and what it was meant for, but at that moment Yunho became the target of it, just so he could put the blame on someone else. 

"I told you, didn't I? I told you to leave me alone!" Jongho felt a tingly burn start up in his nose, but he refused to cry. "Why didn't you listen to me that day in the canteen? Why! If you did, none of this would've happened!"

"No, no... listen to me--" Yunho shook his head. 

"I don't want to!" Jongho snapped. Over Yunho's shoulder, he saw Seonghwa running towards them. "I'm leaving. Don't follow me. Don't contact me. We're never seeing each other again, got that?" Jongho started walking to the stairway behind him.

"Jongho, please..." Yunho cried, wanting to continue but couldn't because of the hiccups and the sobs that got stuck in his throat. Jongho ignored his pleas. He didn't even look back. 

Yunho dropped to the floor helplessly. Seonghwa was coming. He missed his chance.

All of that, for nothing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone notice how Yunho was scared when he was left alone with Jongho?
> 
> P.S. I feel a little bad for making some members get hurt 🙈 Honestly, I originally planned it to be even worse than what it is now


	11. They Don't Hate You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seonghwa and Jongho goes back to the park.

"The paramedics are coming up," Seonghwa said as he stopped in front of Yunho. At the moment, he couldn't care less if Yunho was having a mental breakdown or not. Something was going on, and he had to catch up with Jongho before he gets too far away. "Get yourself together and follow the rest to the hospital if there's enough space on the ambulance. If not, take a taxi." Seonghwa shoved some bills into Yunho's chest and ran off.

Jongho had chose the outdoor staircase so he wouldn't have to go through the suite and risk getting seen by Wooyoung and the others. All his valuables were on him, so it didn't matter. 

The moment his foot touched the ground, he ran. It was pitch black outside, probably nearing one or two o'clock. He didn't know where to go, but he knew he had to put as much distance as possible between himself and the group.

When he was finally out of breath, he looked around and found himself in the park near his school. The same park where Seonghwa had told him to give Yunho a chance.

Jongho's anger flared up again, this time more of disappointment in himself, and he slammed a fist into the bark of a tree, not caring that his knuckles were bleeding. Then he collapsed onto the closest swing, feeling the hot tears forming in his eyes. As stupid as it felt, Jongho still refused to cry. He looked up to the sky and blinked furiously.

The sound of thumping footsteps grew louder, and before Jongho could react, Seonghwa was already blocking the park entrance. 

"Jongho—"

"Move—"

"Jongho!" Seonghwa grabbed Jongho's arm, hard. Jongho winced and squirmed out of his grip. He used his injured hand to rub on the burning spot. 

A small gasp escaped Seonghwa's lips. "Are you bleeding?" 

Jongho turned away.

"Come on, let's go to the hospital. The others are also there." Seonghwa took Jongho's other hand, this time more gently. 

Jongho flung his hand away. With a wavering voice, he mumbled, "why are you here?" 

Seonghwa sighed. He couldn't believe this. "To bring you back, of course. Why did you run away?" But of course, he knew the answer. When Jongho kept quiet, he said, almost a whisper, "it's not your fault."

Jongho turned around so fast he felt dizzy. "What do you know? You weren't even there when it happened," he hissed. Seonghwa opened his mouth to rebut, but Jongho didn't let him. "When you said I should be friends with Yunho, I actually believed in you. What was I thinking? This happens every time. There's no reason for me to think it would be any different with Yunho. I told you people around me get hurt. Why won't anyone listen to me?!"

He couldn't hold it anymore. The tears rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably. In a vain attempt to hide his embarrassment, he continued shouting in between his hiccups. "If you listen- listened, or if Yunho listened, the- then none of this would've happened! I told you gu- guys to stay away..."

"No!" Seonghwa grabbed Jongho by the shoulder, shaking him. "This is nobody's fault, Jongho. It was an accident. When will you see? I don't know what's with you, or with Yunho for that matter. Both of you—" Seonghwa groaned in frustration and let his hands drop. He was out of breath and frustrated. 

Jongho's breath caught in his throat. "What, what do you mean?" He forced Seonghwa to look at him. "What did you say?"

Seonghwa hesitated before sitting on the other swing beside Jongho. "Yunho... he's kind of like you. When things... happen, he somehow believes it's all because of him. But I'm not saying he thinks the world revolves around him— ugh, I don't know. He never tells me enough. He just blames himself for everything, like what you're doing now, even though it's obviously an accident."

Jongho had stopped crying. He now stared blankly on the sand-covered ground. 

_Could he, could he be cursed, too? But no- I always hung out with him but I never got hurt._

"What's on your mind?" Seonghwa asked, although he knew it was a futile question. He sighed again. "You guys never changed, huh."

Jongho looked up at that. All of a sudden, something Seonghwa said almost three months ago came back to him.

_I was sure you and Yunho already became close friends._

"What, what did you mean?" Jongho stumbles over his words. "You said we met before, what did you mean?"

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you seriously don't think we look familiar to you? So you haven't figured it out?" 

Jongho's heart raced. "What? Just spit it out already!"

"Remember the last time we were here? You said you won't make friends anymore because of what happened when you were younger." Jongho nodded, urging him on. "I was quite sure you and I were talking about the same thing. We all met at the same playground... do you remember?"

Jongho was speechless for a while. He racked his brain, but he was always bad with faces. Plus, he tried so hard to forget it after it happened. All he could recall was the falling kid, and the others shouting at him to get lost. 

Then, it clicked. "So- so you mean- Yunho was the one who fell off the playhouse? The others- everyone was there?"

Seonghwa nodded. "Hongjoong, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Yeosang, Yunho and I went to the same kindergarten. You were an insert. I don't think anyone remembers other than me."

Jongho felt the world in front of him tilt. But what did all of that mean? All he could think of was to never get near them anymore. How many times had he hurt Yunho? If the others found out, they were going to be furious. 

"Jongho? Are you listening?" Seonghwa was waving a hand in front of his face. 

Jongho snapped back to reality. "Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I?"

"Everyone thinks I'm—" Jongho stopped at the word cursed. He cleared his throat. "They hated me because I hurt their friend."

Seonghwa couldn't help but laugh. "They don't hate you. We were kids. They're just upset. Even now. No one will truly blame you. You didn't do it on purpose." He paused. "I think... I think you're just hating yourself."

"You really think so?" Jongho wanted to cry again. He was so tired. So, so tired. 

"Yes. Come on. They'll really hate you if you don't show up in the hospital after one of your friends got hurt." Seonghwa stood up.

"I- I have to apologize to Yunho." Jongho stuttered, looking down at his shoes. 

"He'll be there, too." Seonghwa pulled Jongho up. "Let's go."

They headed to the exit together. At that moment, Jongho really wanted to believe what Seonghwa said was true. That no one hated him. And he really was starting to be convinced, until his phone rang.

They stopped in their tracks. 

"Hello?"

_"Is this Choi Jongho?"_

A strange, unfamiliar voice came from the other side.

"Yes, who is this?"

_"We are calling from Seoul National University Hospital. Your mother was in a car accident and has been admitted. We have the responsibility to inform you that she is in critical condition."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you need a refresher, Seonghwa's flashback to the playground accident is in the chapter "You Never Should've Come". 
> 
> Jongho's mother got hurt once again, and no doubt will Jongho think that his curse was behind this unfortunate event...


	12. It's Back to Do Double

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seonghwa and Jongho bumps into Yunho at the hospital.

"About three hours ago, your mother got into a big car crash that involved two buses and a private car at the mouth of a tunnel. The surgery was successful, so she is no longer in an immediate life-threatening situation. We placed her in ICU for now, but if she doesn't wake up from her coma in twenty-four hours, there is a chance she will remain in vegetative state indefinitely."

The doctor looked up from his clipboard. "The visiting times of the ICU starts tomorrow morning at ten and ends at twelve." He glanced at Seonghwa. "Only family members are allowed in."

When the doctor was gone, Seonghwa had to wrap his arms around Jongho fully to stop him from slamming into the doors that led to the ICU. When Jongho finally used up the last of his energy from shouting and crying and resisting, he fell to the ground.

Seonghwa dragged him onto a nearby row of chairs, keeping a supportive hand on his back. He thought for a while before saying, "do you... should I help you contact the rest of your family?"

Jongho shook his head weakly, but said nothing. 

_My curse... it hasn't done any damage for so long, and now it's back to do double. Back to back._

Seonghwa gently moved his hand up and down in a soothing gesture. "If you need any help with the fees, don't be afraid to ask us... I know we haven't known each other for long, but we treat you as a brother now."

The hallway remained eerily quiet, the only sound the beeping of distant monitors and machines. It was so late that there was barely a nurse around. 

Suddenly, a soft growling sound broke the silence. Jongho put his hand - which was inspected and bandaged the moment they arrived the hospital - on his stomach and dipped his head, embarrassed. 

"Shall we get some food? There's a convenience store nearby." Seonghwa jumped at the opportunity to get out of the hospital. Staying here wouldn't do Jongho any good.

The two of them waited for an elevator down. When the doors opened, Seonghwa was surprised it wasn't empty. He was more surprised to see who was in it.

A haggard-looking Yunho. His puffy red eyes widened when he saw Jongho behind Seonghwa, and glanced around as if to find a place to run. But he was trapped. 

Seonghwa, oblivious to their argument at the rooftop, stepped in. "Yunho! Why are you--" A gasp of recognition. "San? Is San here?"

Yunho was forced to back up into a corner as the doors closed. "Ah, Seonghwa..." He peeked at Jongho, who faced away and stood at the opposite corner. He noticed the bandaged hand, but didn't dare ask. "Yea- yes, San's here... along with everyone else. I'm just going down to get some snacks and water." Then, as an afterthought, "why were you on that floor? San's room is upstairs."

Now it was Seonghwa's turn to look at Jongho. He hid himself in the shadows, wishing to disappear. Lowering his voice, Seonghwa said to Yunho, "I think it's better if you ask him yourself."

The elevator reached the ground floor, and the doors opened, releasing the tense air that had formed inside. They stepped out into the chilly night. 

Under the bright and blinding lights of the convenience store, Seonghwa watched Jongho settle on a stool with two cups of instant noodle and an iced coffee. The door made a loud ring whenever someone got close, so he wasn't worried about Jongho escaping. 

He found Yunho, grabbing packs of chips off the shelves with blank eyes, and pulled him aside. 

"What--"

"Tell me--"

The two of them spoke at once, whispering in an urgent tone. When Seonghwa faltered, Yunho didn't wait and started again. "Tell me why you and Jongho were there. Where did you guys go from the rooftop? Why is his hand bleeding--"

Seonghwa shut him up with a hand covered over his mouth. "I can't answer so many questions at once." He tip-toed and strained his neck to look over the shelves at Jongho. To his relief, he heard nothing. "Tell me what happened to you guys first."

"What do you mean?" Yunho broke eye contact, suddenly very interested at the price of sanitary pads. 

"Don't act like you don't know. Why did Jongho run away in the first place? And why were you crying when I found you?"

Yunho bit his lip. "I'll tell you if you promise you'll answer my questions right away."

"Deal."

Yunho sucked in a deep breath. He continued to avoid eye contact. "We... had an argument, that's all." Seonghwa folded his arms, unsatisfied. Yunho licked his dry lips and tried again. "He said none of this would've happened if I didn't try to befriend him in the first place. He also said that we will never see each other again. When he saw you coming, he ran away."

Seonghwa was quiet for a while, but Yunho was getting impatient. "You promised."

"Ok, ok." Seonghwa sighed. "I trust that you will know how to handle the information properly." He paused, but Yunho only looked at him expectantly. "Jongho's mother got into a car crash, and the doctor said there's a chance she'll be in vegetative state if she doesn't wake up soon."

Yunho covered his mouth. He was more than shocked, but there was no time to talk any further, because Jongho had finished eating. 

"Come on," Seonghwa helped Yunho with his things, paid for them, and followed Jongho back outside. 

"Jongho, do you want to see San?" Seonghwa caught up, leaving Yunho with his groceries behind. Jongho didn't stop walking, but showed no sign of agreement nor disagreement. "Remember, no one thinks it's your fault... I think they would want to see you, too. After you ran away, they are no doubt going to be worried."

Jongho wavered. He stopped in front of the hospital doors, and, after moments of reluctance, turned to go in. He should at least check on them. One last time. And then he would leave. And never come back.

"Seonghwa, take these," Yunho said as they approached the room that San stayed in, passing the snacks and drinks to Seonghwa. "You guys go ahead, I need the washroom."

He didn't even give Seonghwa a chance to protest before dashing down the hallway - in the opposite direction of the washroom. He didn't tell anyone, but he had to go to the ICU to see for himself.

He took the staircase, as impatient as he was, and went down a floor. The entrance to the ICU was right in front of him, but a nurse who passed by stopped him from entering.

"I'm sorry, sir... the visiting times start tomorrow."

Yunho threw his back against the wall and slid down to the floor, ignoring the nurse's worried looks and sympathetic words. He hugged his head around his arms and knees, sobbing quietly. 

_This is my punishment._

No one knew this - he didn't even tell Seonghwa, the most trustworthy of the group - but Yunho remembered. The first day he met Jongho wasn't in the corridor of their high school, but in the playground outside their kindergarten. And since that day, all he wanted was to become friends with him, to enjoy a childhood with him. 

He wanted all of them to be happy. But how could Jongho be happy when his mother was in a hospital, being kept alive by machines?

So that night, even though Yunho never considered himself to be religious, he bowed his head and prayed, and plead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Yunho has been hiding from his group of friends, too. What other secrets might he have? And why does he think it was his punishment?


	13. Something Was Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A miracle happened and Seonghwa went missing.

Seonghwa pulled the sliding door open, leaving Jongho no choice but to go in. Wooyoung had requested for a private room, insisting that it was the least he could do when the accident took place in his home, during his party. He was sitting closest to San, holding his hand.

Hongjoong, Yeosang and Mingi turned their heads. 

"Where have you guys been--" Mingi started, but was cut short by Yeosang's hand over his mouth. 

"Keep it down, will you?" Yeosang pointed at San. His lips were pale, but his face was peaceful, and the steady up-and-down movement of his chest suggested that he was simply sleeping. 

Mingi pouted a little. Jongho felt a stab of guilt in his chest as he took in Mingi's state - right arm bandaged up from the cut he got from the toolbox, left arm holding an ice pack to his head, which was also bandaged. 

Seonghwa placed down the bags on a small bedside table, handing out the drinks to everyone. He shared a look with Jongho, passing him the authority to speak.

Jongho stared at a spot in the farthest corner of the room. After everything, he certainly owed them the truth. And what other kind of excuse could he think of without sounding guilty? So he took a deep breath and told them about his mother's accident, even though it took agonizing effort for each word he said.

When he was done, Hongjoong was the first to react. He stood from the small couch and gave Jongho a hug. "I'm sorry... this night has been too hard for you. Just remember we're on your side."

Yeosang placed a hand on Jongho's shoulder. "If she's anything like you, I'm sure she'll get through it and wake up soon."

"Don't feel too bad about my hand, Jongho. I see you also hurt yours, so we're even." Mingi gestured at Jongho's injured knuckles. He was always the one to lighten the mood.

Even Wooyoung shifted his attention. He looked the most exhausted out of everyone else, but still managed a sad smile. "We'll definitely visit her, right guys?"

Jongho almost cried again. Seonghwa was right, none of them hated him. Yet that was worse. No one resented Jongho, blamed him for the injuries, even though he was the one who missed the shot. And he wasn't used to being accepted. Most of all, he couldn't bear with the weight of his guilt. 

He had to leave, before he hurt his friends again. His friends.

"Hey, where's Yunho?" Mingi asked. He seemed to be the only one who realized his absence. "Seonghwa, were you at the store, too? Did you see him?"

"These are his," Seonghwa said, pointing at the bags. "He said he was going to the washroom, and told me to come in first. I wonder what's taking him so long, though. Should I go look?"

Jongho scrambled at the opportunity. "I'll go! I'll go."

No one questioned his eagerness. Everyone was tired.

As soon as he was out the door, Jongho picked up his pace and headed for the exit. Yunho had just came back from the ICU, and saw Jongho's figure turning a corner in the hallway. He wanted to shout for him, but remembered what Jongho said on the rooftop, and lowered his head.

The sky was already brightening when Jongho stepped out the hospital doors. I will never go back to them, he thought to himself.

Jongho went home, took a shower, took a quick nap, changed into some new clothes, and headed out again. Stopping by a flower shop, he bought a simple bouquet with the flowers his mother likes.

When he arrived the hospital the next day, it was half-past-nine, still half an hour before the ICU visiting times. He has planned to wait on the chairs outside the ICU, but when the elevator arrived the lobby, a familiar figure walked out.

"Oh! Jongho!" San was wearing hospital clothes and putting all his weight on a crutch he held on his right side. "Did you come to—" He looked down at the flowers, and understood instantly.

This was the first time that Jongho could have a proper perusal of San's injuries after the accident. His left calf was wrapped in bandages, all the way up to his knee. There was a blue cast around his left ankle, which was probably sprained from the weight of the lamp head that had dropped. His left arm and even his cheek had smaller band-aids - cuts from the shards of glass. The only reassurance Jongho got was the smile that had stretched across San's face when he first saw Jongho and the color that had returned to his lips.

"H- Hi, San." Jongho finally managed. The doors closed behind San, his escape route gone. "Where are you going?"

"Just going for a walk... But I don't think I can go for long - this crutch is hurting my armpit already." San frowned.

"I'll help you back to your room." The offer escaped before Jongho even realized. So much for avoiding them. So much for never seeing them again.

Back in the room, Jongho was shocked to see someone else sprawled across the couch, sleeping soundly even though his legs had to dangle off the arm rest. 

Wooyoung was still in the clothes from last night. San settled back onto his bed and smiled. “He didn't go home... When I woke up, he was sleeping on a chair, head down on my bed. I asked the doctor to help me move him, so he'll be more comfortable."

The private room felt bigger than when everyone was here. Jongho had a better look around - some fruits and leftover snacks from last night, San's change of clothes, and his shoes. Other than a couch, there was also an armchair by the bed and a tv mounted on a wall. 

"How... how are you feeling?" Jongho asked after awkwardly settling himself on the armchair. 

San moved his injured leg up and down, feeling it. "The cuts don't hurt that much, but some of them will definitely leave scars. My ankle is still stiff, but the bruise on my knee is pretty much fine now." He shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. "Overall, I've been in worse situations. I only fainted because I hit my head on the ground." 

"I'm so—"

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over that. No one could've known where the ball would end up. It was all an accident."

Jongho looked away. He's heart thumped against his chest. "San, there's— I need to tell you something. I—"

The door opened, and Hongjoong rushed in, interrupting Jongho's confession. "Have you guys been able to contact Seonghwa? Did anyone see him leave yesterday? He won't pick up my calls or answer my texts, but he told me to meet him at the hospital almost an hour ago."

Wooyoung stirred, woken up by the shouting. Jongho stood up, sharing a look of concern with San. 

"Maybe he just slept in?" San said, uncertainly.

Hongjoong ran his fingers through his slightly damp hair. He had just came back from a quick shower at home. "He would never be so irresponsible. If he was gonna be late, he would always tell us."

Jongho had a sudden premonition. Something was wrong, very wrong. His mind spun from the lack of sleep. 

The door was left open by Hongjoong, and a tall man with a white robe walked in. When he spotted Jongho, he exclaimed, "oh! Mr. Choi Jongho. I was trying to contact you, but I guess your phone died."

Jongho took his phone out, and realized that he has forgotten to plug it in when he had the chance. "What's.. what's wrong?" The premonition grew.

"Your mother woke up a while ago! It's like a miracle! We moved her to a normal ward for now."

Jongho asked for the room number and ran out, forgetting the flowers at San's room. When he got there, he saw two things.

His mother was sitting on the bed, laughing. 

The person she was laughing with was Yunho.

Jongho's heart lifted at the scene. He didn't even question Yunho's presence. 

But as he walked in to greet them, he realized that the bad feeling he had was still there. He couldn't shake it off, no matter how hard he tried.

San was recovering well, and his mother woke up. Were things going too smoothly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find out what happened to Seonghwa in the next chapter! ;)


	14. Do You Have a Few Minutes?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongho's mother woke up... but at what cost?

_1.5 hours before Jongho arrived the hospital_

"Doctor Kang! She woke up!"

"Who?"

"The woman who came in last night - the car crash--"

Yunho woke to a start by a sudden flood of fluorescent lights that blinded him through his closed eyelids. His neck was stiff, his legs numb. Without realizing it, he had fell asleep outside the ICU in a sitting position.

His vision cleared just in time to witness a doctor and a nurse walk into the ICU. He scrambled to his feet, trying to follow, but was barred by another nurse.

"Sir, are you a family or relative?"

"Please, is Mrs. Lee awake?"

"Sorry, sir. Unless you're a family member--"

The doctor came out with an urgent look in his eyes. He fixed his gaze on Yunho. "How are you related to Mrs. Lee?"

"I- I'm her son, Jongho's, friend." Somehow, that word tasted sour in his throat. "Please, let me in."

The doctor hesitated, sharing a look with the nurses. Then, he stepped to the side. "Only for a few minutes. We have to move her to the normal wards as soon as possible."

"Thank you!" Yunho pushed past the nurses and sped down the hallway. Through the windows on his side, he found Jongho's mother, eyes open and full of vigor. Some nurses were asking her questions and preparing for the move of her bed.

Yunho tapped on the glass lightly, and she turned her head. Upon recognizing his face, she smiled, and even though he couldn't hear her, he knew she was calling his name.

Yunho couldn't believe it. Just a simple prayer, and his wish came true? Was it coincidence?

As he followed the doctors and nurses into a new room for Jongho's mother, a feeling of dread grew inside of him. For whenever his wishes came true, something bad always came with it.

✧ ✦ ✧

"San, how are you feeling this morning?" The doctor seemed oblivious to Hongjoong's concerned face and walked up to the foot of the bed with his clipboard ready.

San looked back and forth between his friends before coming to his senses. "Oh, hi, doctor. Yeah, I'm feeling great. I wanted to go out for a walk, too."

"Good. I'll check on you again in the afternoon. Remember to take your medicine. Depending on your situation, you'll be discharged tonight or early tomorrow."

With that, the doctor was gone.

"Wooyoung, you were here all night, right? Did you see Seonghwa leave?" Hongjoong continued to panic.

"Don't worry so much, Hongjoong," San moved himself to the couch and helped Hongjoong sit. "Maybe he just lost his phone or something."

"I think Seonghwa was still here when I fell asleep, so I have no idea what time he left," Wooyoung replied. When he saw the deep lines between Hongjoong's eyebrows, he added, "if you're so worried, we can call his home, ask if he's there?"

"Yes, let's do that." Hongjoong took his phone out, only to realize he didn't have the contact of any of Seonghwa's family members. Both San and Wooyoung shook their heads.

At that moment, Yeosang walked in. "Hey, guys. I couldn't make Mingi to come. He's sleeping in." He noticed everyone's frowns and distress. "What's wrong?"

San made a quick summary, and Yeosang, fortunately, replied with some good news. "Yunho has Seonghwa's brother's phone number."

They called Yunho, and immediately headed to the ICU when they learnt that he stayed all night, too.

Yunho met them outside, giving Jongho and his mother some alone time.

"What's the matter?" Yunho closes the door behind him.

"Hongjoong haven't been able to contact Seonghwa for a while now, and we're worried if something happened. Can you call Seonghwa's family to see if he's just at home?" Yeosang, currently the calmest, explained the situation.

Yunho didn't ask more and scrolled through his contacts hastily.

_"Hello? Yunho?"_

"Oh, yes. Sorry, we're kind of in a hurry. Did you see Seonghwa go home yesterday?"

_"Ah, he said he's having a party with Woo... I think it was Wooyoung."_

"Yes, I was there, too. Did he come home after?" Hongjoong was getting impatient and urging Yunho to get to the point. "We haven't been able to contact him."

 _"Uh... I'm not so sure."_ Yunho put him on the speaker so the others could listen in. _"I slept early last night. But I woke up really early, around five this morning. He wasn't home. Is he not with you guys?"_

Perspiration formed on Hongjoong's forehead. Wooyoung and San tried to think of a reasonable explanation, but each speculation was only worse than the last.

Yunho was about to thank Seonghwa's brother and hang up when a phone rang in the distance. It was coming through the phone.

_"Hold on."_

Muffled conversation continued on the other end of the line, completely indistinct to the five teenagers in the hospital.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Seonghwa's brother came back on the phone.

 _"Yunho, are you still there?"_ His voice seemed to waver a little, unsure.

"Yes. Who was it?" The dread that Yunho had felt earlier came back.

_"It was the police. Seonghwa was attacked by two thieves on his way home— we, we have to go—"_

He hung up, and the rhythmic beeps echoed in the narrow corridor.

"What are we going to do...?" San raises the question that nobody else had dared.

Yeosang observed the people around him, and came up with a plan. "Hongjoong, I know you're thinking, but you can't go alone. We should call again to find out which police station Seonghwa was brought to, and then I'll go with you." Hongjoong nodded mindlessly.

Then, Yeosang turned to Wooyoung. "Do you want to stay with San? He should stay here and recover."

"Sure," Wooyoung stretched his stiff shoulders. His lack of sleep was taking a toll on him, but he wouldn't show it. "I don't think he can be discharged yet, anyway."

"Yeah, but please go home and shower first." San stood up and headed back to his room with the help of Wooyoung.

The only one left was Yunho. His face went pale and was unusually quiet after the call ended. If Yeosang noticed, he didn't point it out. Instead, he gave him a simpler task - or at least what he _thought_ should be easy. "Yunho, tell Jongho what happened - he deserves to know, too. "Hongjoong and I will be on our way."

When the hallway was empty again, Yunho had a feeling of Déjà vu. The situation was not much different than when he was left alone with Jongho back on the roof. He was deciding whether to run away or confess to everything when the door behind him opened, scaring him.

The car crash had given Jongho's mother two bone fractures and a concussion that knocked her into a coma. Thanks to her healthy lifestyle, though, the doctor had said she will be able to recover almost fully.

Jongho had fed her some congee, provided by the hospital, and some medicine that put her to sleep again. He was about to go home and leave everything behind him, yet someone's back was the first thing he saw when he opened the door.

"Excuse me—"

Yunho turned around, almost colliding into Jongho. Flustered, he took two steps back. "Sorry!"

Then, they recognized each other and suddenly went very quiet. They stared each other for a very long time, each of them having their own internal debates.

Finally, the both spoke at the same time, with the exact same words. "Do you have a few minutes? I have something to say."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is coming to an end! Only two more chapters and the epilogue left.
> 
> Let's hope Yunho and Jongho will straighten things out with each other soon!


	15. I Wanted You to Be My Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongho and Yunho talk it out in a cafe, and Seonghwa goes looking for them.

There was a café in the hospital, and that was where Jongho and Yunho sat, with untouched cups of iced americano in front of them. 

"You can talk first." Yunho played with his fingers that rested on his lap, refusing to meet Jongho's eyes. 

Jongho had so many things to say, but he knew what he had to do first. It hung at the tip of his tongue, yet he had to use a lot of force to get them out.

Yunho looked up tentatively, wondering what was Jongho taking so long for, only to be shouted at right in the face. "I'm sorry!"

Jongho had closed his eyes when he said that, but he now opened them slowly to better see Yunho's reaction. Having realized Yunho was staring, he immediately looked away and distracted himself with a big gulp of coffee. 

He took a deep breath and continued, this time with a calmer, more reasonable tone. "I'm sorry for shouting at you on the roof. I- I just wanted to make myself believe that not all the responsibility is on me... even though it is."

Here, Yunho opened his mouth, wanting to interrupt and correct Jongho, but upon seeing Jongho's face, full of regret, he decided to hear what he had to say.

"Look... it sounds preposterous, but I... I—" Jongho paused, closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he finally said it - the thing that had bothered him all along, that he wanted to tell everyone but had no courage to. "I am cursed." Once he started, he couldn't stop. "People around me, who are related me in some ways, get hurt. That's why I don't make friends. So when you came along, everything is ruined. I could've lived my life alone, peacefully. That's why I blamed you. But in truth - and I know this - I'm the one who came along and ruined your life, your friends’ lives." 

Jongho swallowed, caught his breath. "My father and my sisters had to escape to America to live a better life. They never said it, but I know they hate me. Once he left, my father's business improved. My sisters' grades got better. But- but my mom... she never left. And that's the worst. I have to watch her get hurt every day, and that's why I was so scared when the hospital called. I live in fear of the day when she will finally... finally..."

He couldn't go on anymore. He didn't care that he was in public - the tears didn't stop. He sobbed, giving up his pride in front of a classmate he had known for barely half a year. 

Yunho had listened. And now he, too, felt his eyes grow hot with tears. He shook his head a lot of times during the speech, wanting to correct Jongho, but he also wanted to listen to his side of the story.

"No." Yunho wiped his tears away and said when he found his voice back. "You got it all wrong."

Jongho bit his lips to stop himself from crying again. His eyes were already red and puffy, and he couldn't stop his hiccups. "W- what?"

"It's not preposterous." Jongho looked confused, so Yunho clarified. "The idea that you're cursed. It's not ridiculous at all, because I'm the opposite of you." 

The hiccups were still there, but Jongho's eyes widened. That had grabbed his full attention.

"My family always thought I'm blessed. I helped them win the lottery multiple times. I always get the multiple choice questions correct even if I guessed. Remember what happened in the cafeteria? The beef came out right when it was my turn, because I'm allergic to shrimp. In simple terms, I get whatever I wish for."

"That's..." Jongho started, but Yunho shook his head again. 

"That's 'great'? Is that what you wanted to say, like everyone else?" He didn't mean it to come out like an accusation. He sighed. "There's a catch. I'm only telling you because you seem to be thinking that this is all your fault but listen, it is not."

"I don't understand." Jongho's head hurt.

"There's a catch," Yunho repeated, his voice getting softer as he felt his courage diminish. After this, there was no going back. Jongho would hate him. "When my wishes come true, tragedy befalls on someone else." He waited for Jongho to speak, but Jongho waited for him to continue. "They can be totally unrelated to me, just a bystander. But usually, they are people I know... just like how your curse targets people around you."

"And?" Jongho knew there was something else. Something Yunho kept in secret and needed to confess.

"And... everything that happened so far... that you thought was caused by your curse... may or may not have been caused by me instead." Yunho stared at his full coffee cup, next to Jongho's empty one. He couldn't sit still.

"What do you mean...?"

Yunho sighed, again. This was the hardest part. "I don't know if you remember, but I was about to tell you something on the roof, when we left halfway through the movie?"

Jongho showed no signs to signify whether he remembered.

"I was hoping we could talk alone... it was a personal matter, but then Mingi and the others came. And I guess I subconsciously wished for them to leave so we can be alone again. So, that's why- that's why when... when that happened, and we actually ended up being alone, I got so scared. I thought for sure it was because of me..."

Jongho didn't say anything, but his heart was going wild. In his mind, he recalled all the near-accidents with Yunho. In the corridor, Yunho was unhurt but all of his friends ended up being late to class. In the canteen, a student tripped and lost his lunch while Yunho dodged the scalding soup successfully. On the roof... San and Mingi were injured.

"And now, Seonghwa's- Seonghwa's in trouble because I-" Yunho choked up. "I prayed for your mother to wake up, Jongho. I wanted... want you to be happy."

"You what?" Jongho stood up, shocked. "Why? Why am I so important, why did I do—"

But Yunho didn't let him finish. "That was my wish when I was six. In the playground. I wanted you to be my friend, and that childish, simple-minded wish I made as a kid stuck with me until now. That's how you ran into me in the corridor that day."

Jongho was left speechless. He sat back on his chair heavily, ruminating on what Yunho just said. So he remembered all along. Then why—

"Then why did you pretend to not know me?"

"I didn't pretend, I actually didn't know. Not until you told me your name anyway. How was I supposed to recognize you after twelve years?"

Jongho didn't know what to say. Everything was so confusing, and the headache is growing worse by the minute. 

"Does... did you you tell Seonghwa about your curse?" Yunho finally asked.

Jongho shook his head. "You?"

"No. But I think he - no, everyone else, too - deserves to know." Yunho looked up, meeting Jongho's gaze.

At that moment, they both knew what their next step was: to find Seonghwa. They were picking up their trash and walking out the café when a familiar voice called out behind them.

"Yunho, Jongho!" 

They turned around, and Seonghwa was waving at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that the story is ending in a boring way 😭 But I wanted this to be a good, unambiguous ending. Hope you will stick with me ‘til the last chapter!


	16. Stop Blaming Yourselves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seonghwa solves the problem...?

Despite being the top student in his class, Seonghwa could be classified as an "idiot" when it comes to anything that wasn't academics or his studies.

And that was how he ended up curling into a ball, attempting to protect his fragile face, in a narrow back-alley at around four o'clock in the morning. Two drunk teenagers - both one or two years younger than him - continued to assault him even after he had surrendered all his valuables.

"We can't even buy a proper lunch with the money you have!"

"Yeah! What a waste of my time!"

" _Park Seonghwa_? Sounds like some kind of nerd." One of them squinted at his ID card. The other continued to kick his back.

"Come on," the first one said, after taking out all the cash and throwing the empty wallet on top of Seonghwa. "Let's go find another--"

"You! You two, stop there!" A third, deeper voice shouted, followed by footsteps. Seonghwa was still recovering on the ground and trying not to hurt his body even more. He couldn't see what was going on behind him, but they sounded authoritative.

"We're the police." The man showed his identification and took out a pair of handcuffs, his female partner following.

"You're now under arrest for assault and attempted robbery..." The handcuffs clicked around the delinquents' wrists as the man continued stating their rights in a monotone.

The woman approached Seonghwa, crouched, and placed a hand on his back. "Sir, will you be able to follow us to the police station? Or do you want an ambulance called?"

Seonghwa groaned. His head was throbbing, his back sore. But he managed to stand up using the wall for support, ignoring the woman's offer to help. He limped his way to the police car and sat in the passenger's seat, not uttering one word as the policewoman drove.

Twenty minutes later, Seonghwa sat in front of a new policeman, looking young in his mid-twenties, who was typing rapidly into a laptop. The two drunks passed out recently and were brought to a far corner of the station. His belongings sat on a chair next to his. Phone, wallet, watch, even his glasses.

"Park Seonghwa, is that right?"

Seonghwa nodded, even though he was pretty sure the man still remembered his name from asking the same question five minutes ago.

"I won't keep you for any longer than necessary. You've cooperated well. Just check if you've got everything back." The cop stood up with a sheaf of papers in his hands and headed to the door. "Are you sure you don't want to demand compensation? Not even for your medical fees?"

Seonghwa was fastening his watch to his wrist, ready to leave. He turned around at the youngsters lying unconscious on a bench. "Just do what you have to with them. I got my stuff back, anyway."

He was about to head to the hospital when he noticed that his phone wouldn't turn on. The teenagers must've broken it in frustration when they couldn't unlock it. He pocketed the useless phone and turned to the police. "Can you call my family and tell them what happened to me? A little later, though. They're probably still asleep."

The sun was rising when Seonghwa waited for his medicine in the lobby of the hospital. He closed his eyes, deciding to take a rest after a long night. He felt himself drifting into a deep sleep when someone called his name.

"Isn't that-- Seonghwa!" Hongjoong ran towards the chairs, dragging Yeosang behind him. They had just received the phone call from Seonghwa's brother and was heading to the police station.

"Why are you here? Why--" Before Hongjoong could start firing questions at him, Seonghwa held up his broken phone.

Yeosang looked him up and down, noting the bandages and bruises. "Are you alright?"

Seonghwa nodded. "Mhm. Why are you here?"

"We were about to go look for you... does it hurt a lot?" Hongjoong frowned, betraying his worry. "How could this happen... oh no, that looks bad." He sat down next to Seonghwa, sounding almost close to tears.

"It's not that bad." Seonghwa chuckled. "Thanks for asking. How's San? How's Jongho's mother?"

"Aish, here you go again." Hongjoong punched Seonghwa lightly at the arm. "Always putting others before yourself."

"They're fine. Jongho was visiting his mother this morning. I don't know if he's still here, though." Yeosang turned on his phone. "Shall we ask the group?"

**_9 messages from Mingi in "AZ Teens"_ **

**Mingi**  
Good morning!

Anyone here?

Hello????

Don't forget, I'm also a victim!!

I'm also injured!!

Give me some attention!

Are you all in the hospital?!

Oh, forget this

No one loves me... ㅠㅠ

**_Yeosang is online_ **

**Mingi**  
Finally! Yeosang, are you here to save me???

 **Yeosang**  
You think too much, Mingi

Anyone know where **Jongho** is?

**_Yunho is online_ **   
**_San is online_ **   
**_Wooyoung is online_ **

**San**  
I heard his mother is 💤

 **Wooyoung**  
He probably went 🏠

 **Yunho**  
He's with me, his phone is 💀, at the ☕️☕️☕️

 **Yeosang**  
Thanks

**_Yeosang is offline_ **

**Mingi**  
Wait!

**_Yunho is offline_ **   
**_Wooyoung is offline_ **   
**_San is offline_ **

The moment that his medicine was safely stowed away, Seonghwa made his way to the café. If only the robbers hadn't stepped on his feet, he would've ran.

He spotted Jongho and Yunho at a table farthest from the entrance, beside a window. He was within earshot and was about to call for their attention, but he couldn't help eavesdropping.

"I am cursed."

Seonghwa slipped soundlessly into a nearby seat and continued listening, observing. Just like he always had.

Almost ten minutes later, Yunho and Jongho left their seats, about to throw away their trash. Seonghwa turned his back to them in hopes they wouldn't notice him. After a while, Seonghwa turned back around slowly, and when he saw the two of them leaving, he called out.

"Yunho, Jongho!"

Then, they were back inside the café again.

Yunho and Jongho kept throwing glances at each other, urging the other to speak first. Indeed, they had planned to open up and tell the truth to everyone else, but they never expected to have to do it immediately.

Of course, Seonghwa already knew what they were thinking, because he had listened in to their conversation.

"Quit it, you two. I already heard everything." Seonghwa took a sip of the scalding tea he had ordered.

They fixed their gaze on Seonghwa, embarrassed. Eventually, Jongho found his voice. "E- everything...?"

"Mhm." Seonghwa continued to enjoy his drink quietly.

There was silence for a while, until Yunho couldn't stand it anymore and opened his mouth, starting to apologize.

He stopped when Seonghwa placed down his cup abruptly. "I know what you want to say. Don't."

The two of them kept their mouths shut obediently.

Seonghwa sighed. "How silly can you guys be to believe that all of the accidents that happened in your life are _your_ faults?"

Yunho and Jongho dropped their heads. They grew up believing they were born cursed and blessed, so how could they change their mindsets so easily? Seonghwa knew this, and so he had a plan. Perhaps it wouldn't entirely cure them of the negative thoughts that had stained their brains, but it would certainly teach them a lesson.

With a flick of his hand, Seonghwa swiped his cup off the table, not even flinching when it shattered and the remnants of his hot tea splattered onto his shoes.

Just as he expected, both Yunho and Jongho shot out of their seats and started blaming themselves instantly, hoping to prove to Seonghwa that they were 'different'.

"Look, you stained your shoes because of my curse - I told you people around me will get into accidents!" Jongho crouched to the floor with a handful of tissue papers, trying in vain to wipe the brown spots off Seonghwa's white sneakers.

Yunho circled around the table to have a better view of the mess on the ground. "Jongho, you're bleeding!" He grabbed Jongho's arm and pulled him away from the glass. "See, both of you were affected by the falling teacup, but I'm perfectly fine. My luck ensured my safety, but caused Jongho to cut his hand."

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow at the two, trying not to laugh at their ridiculousness. He waved a waitress over to clean up the glass and spilled tea. "I'll pay for the cup."

Then he gestured for Yunho and Jongho to sit back down. "Guys, what if I told you I pushed the cup off the table on purpose?"

"W-what?" Yunho, flustered, shared a look with Jongho, who shrugged uncertainly.

"I deliberately dropped the cup on Jongho's side so you wouldn't get hurt. This has nothing to do with your fates or whatever you're talking about. It was a hundred-percent my own will." Seonghwa paused to gauge their reactions. They remained dumbfounded. "So do you get it now? Sure, your lives will have a certain degree of influence on others'. We all have lucky and unlucky days, but your destiny is definitely not the direct cause of someone else's misfortune."

Yunho and Jongho lost their confidence from earlier, but they still looked unsure.

"I won't blame you. We're all raised with a certain notion. For example, I grew up believing I had the responsibility to help anyone in need, no matter who they were. Well, look at me now." Seonghwa spread his hands on the table. "I wouldn't have met you if I didn't go to the park that day, right, Jongho?"

Jongho nodded.

"Now, stop putting the blame on yourselves when accidents happen. It's called an accident for a reason. You're lucky, Yunho, but that doesn't mean you took the luck from someone else."

Seonghwa turned to Jongho. "And you, Jongho, are not a cursed boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it! This is the end of the story, safe for the epilogue that I will post a few days later. For those who stuck with me 'til the end, thank you so much and I love you!! ❤️


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seonghwa invites his old friends over to his home.

"And then? What happens next?"

I chuckled, my heart swelling with affection for my six-year-old grandson. "That's the end."

"The end? But you didn't even tell me if it's a happy ending or not! Is the curse lifted? Can they finally live normal lives?"

I ruffled his head full of dark hair. Instead of answering, I nudged him to the direction of the kitchen. "Go on, help your mother prepare lunch."

He pouted but trudged down the hallway obediently. As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

My daughter poked her head through the threshold of the kitchen entrance, her hands help up like a surgeon's. "Father, can you take that for me? My hands are dirty. Who would come at this hour?"

"Of course, of course." I walked as fast as my feeble legs would allow me, and mumbled to myself, "they must've arrived early."

Sure enough, two of my childhood friends were standing on my doorstep. I had invited them for an afternoon tea, not lunch, but there were probably enough rice to feed all of us.

"Seonghwa! You look lively today! How have you been?" Yunho patted my shoulder a little too hard for my liking.

"We brought some tea leaves." Jongho lifted his hand to present the bag he was holding.

"Ah, you didn't have to." I received the gift and ushered them in. "Come on in, lunch will be ready soon."

The table was already set, with steaming bowls of rice and delicious-smelling dishes waiting in the middle. I called for my daughter to bring out two more sets of chopsticks. My grandson, sitting on a chair, stopped kicking his dangling feet and cocked his head at the visitors.

"Wow, is that your grandson? When was the last time I saw him? He looks just like you!" Yunho made his way to the food.

Jongho shook his head with a smile and followed. "Thanks for having us again, Yerin." He nodded to my daughter, who was just taking off her apron, and to my son-in-law, he said, "You, too, Junghee. It's been a while."

The married couple bowed politely in return. "No worries. All I ask is that you continue to visit my dad when we're not around."

I ignored Yerin's comment and sat next to my grandson. "Go on, say hello to our guests."

"Yes, grandfather!" He looked up to Yunho and Jongho, who were sitting on the opposite end. "Hello, I am Yoon Sebin, six years old. Nice to meet you!" He even bowed his head politely, just the way I taught him.

"You raised him well, Seonghwa." Yunho smiled at the kid. "Help yourself, dig in. You must eat a lot of rice in order to grow tall!"

Sebin nodded, but before he put the spoonful of rice in his mouth, he looked up again. "But... who are you guys?"

Yunho and Jongho glanced at each other, then gave me a look. I grinned. "Sebin, these are my friends, Yunho and Jongho. I'm sure if you ask nicely, they will let you ask them questions about their past after lunch."

Sebin gave a little squeal of surprise. "Really? You're _the_ Jongho and Yunho in grandpa's stories? I have so many questions! Please, can you stay after lunch? Please~"

My two friends laughed at the childish yet cute gesture. My daughter joined in, too. Soon, the room was filled with the kind of warmth that you can only get from those you really care about and those who care about you.

I read Jongho's expression - his eyes smiled along with his mouth, just like how they did when we were young. Except, at that moment, he looked like the luckiest person alive, and not the cursed boy whom I used to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is it! The ultimate end of "You Are (Not) a Cursed Boy"! I wonder how many of you guessed correctly about the grandson and the grandfather 😆🤪
> 
> If you read until the end, I want to thank you so much! If you are an ATINY, be sure to keep an eye out because I'm about to start posting my other story, which is a YunGi fan fiction! That one will be longer, and include more of the members.
> 
> Once again, thank you so much!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this prologue isn't too short and confusing. It is meant to be vague, so I didn't put any names. Can you guys guess who the boy is? Or maybe the grandpa? (Hint: one of them is an ATEEZ member) I'd like to see your guesses as you guys read through the story! So please comment and vote, it will really motivate me as a writer.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> \- Nerdy Giraffe


End file.
